Read what each of the jockeys had to say about the runs of their mounts in the 2021 William Reid Stakes on Friday night.
Winning Jockey: William Pike (Masked Crusader):
“I suppose in the early stages I’d given up on trying to push out and making a really clever move. I thought I’d missed the boat on any track ups that might have been on offer so I was just happy to sit there and hope, pray and wait.
“I had plenty of luck on the night, I suppose. It was the only way we could win the way it unfolded.
“I definitely didn’t expect that turn-of-foot and it’s really what won us the race, obviously. When I said ‘go’, he went. Didn’t care about taking a tight run. He said, ‘yep, bring it on’.
“He let down that fast I was in and out before they knew I was there.”
Beaten jockeys:
Luke Currie (Hey Doc): “He was a bit keen through the run and didn’t finish off.”
Chris Parnham (Kementari): “He ran really well. Good effort.”
Jye NcNeil (Elite Street): “He was a bit keen in the early stages with the slow tempo but just failed to finish off tonight.”
Brad Parnham (Indian Pacific): “He just overraced in the early stages. Took away from his finish.”
Damien Oliver (Flit): “I thought it was a good run.”
Tommy Berry (Libertini): “Brilliant run. Just wrong part of the track.”
Noel Callow (Pippie): “She ran really good. Just got softened up a little bit in the middle stages. SHe’s going to be mum now so hopefully she produces a good horse.”
Damian Lane (Brooklyn Hustle): “Good run with not much luck.”
Mark Zahra (Portland Sky): N/A
Craig Williams (September Run): “Very uneconomical run we had from the barrier. Her racing style around track and the way the race ran, but her performance, it’s not backed up by her finish position, but I was really full of praise for her performance under the circumstances tonight.”
John Allen (Swats That): “Just thought she might’ve raced a little flat.”