A slow start in hindsight helped play into the hands of Jamie Kah when she guided the former Irish galloper Point King to victory at Moonee Valley.
Success in the Travis Harrison Cup (2040m) on Saturday was the second leg of a double for the rider after she scored on Mornington Glory in the Dominant Actizone Handicap (1000m).
Circling the field from the 600m and hitting the front on straightening, Point King ($8.50) raced to a 3-¾ length win from Alder ($5) with Normandy Bridge ($16) a half-head away third.
Kah said Point King, part-owned by seven-time Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams, had loads of talent, but was a thinker, while adding being on the minimum of 53kg was a definite advantage on Saturday.
“The weight definitely helps at this sort of trip,” Kah said.
“He gives me a really nice feel. He’s quite talented, with a big, beautiful stride on him, but he’s a bit of a thinker.
“The plan was to go forward on him, but he was just a bit slow away and there was good speed on early and I think that was a blessing in the end.
“Once he hit the front, I thought he was going to put another five (lengths) on them, but he just had a think about it, but still he was too good.”
Point King was having his first start for Anthony and Sam Freedman having had one run for Kris Lees in Sydney in May following his arrival from Ireland.
Kah said the gelding would derive plenty of benefit from Saturday’s outing at Moonee Valley.
“This will top him off nicely because he’s a big, solid horse and he had good blow on pulling up as well,” Kah said.
“He’s got the ability there and when things go right, like today, he will get some confidence from it.”