A ground-saving ride by James McDonald has elevated the enigmatic Night’s Watch (NZ) (Redwood) back into the winner’s list in the Gr.3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
Starting $8.50, the six-year-old settled near the rear for McDonald, who was happy to bide his time before pinching runs along the inside and surging late to score by a long head over Aliferous (Hinchinbrook) ($6.50).
Shadow Flight (Duporth) ($16) ran the race of his life another short half-head away.
The victory was Night Watch’s first since taking out the Gr.3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) in 2018 and trainer Chris Waller said the horse had been pleasing him on the training track but racing without luck.
“He has been going well enough, it’s just that things have been going against him,” Waller said.
“He’s not the best of beginners so when he gets back in the field it makes it very hard.
Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au
“But you just keep them interested and keep them happy and they put their heads in front occasionally.”
McDonald rode Night’s Watch when he finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) last spring and again at his first run this campaign when unplaced in the Gr.1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m).
He was happy to see the horse in the right frame of mind for Saturday’s 2000m race and relieved to help him get to the line first.
“Finally. He has owed me a few,” McDonald said.
“I’ve ridden him a few times and you just never know which day you’re going to get with him.
“He is always slow out, he doesn’t feel like he wants to be a part of it for the first half and even the majority of the second half.
“But he’s got plenty of ability and I think given the ground today, without it being too heavy, just helped him a little bit being an older horse and he did a good job.”
Night’s Watch is raced by prominent Australian syndication company OTI Racing, who tasted success with New Zealand-trained galloper Quick Thinker (So You Think) in the Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) a race prior.
Terry Henderson, director of OTI, said Night’s Watch could back-up in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m)
“Chris may back him up in the Doncaster, especially if the track is the way it is today,” Henderson said.
“Usually in a Doncaster, the tempo is strong so if Chris said he wants to go to that race, we would go.”
Night’s Watch also holds a nomination for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) but Henderson says he is more likely to head to a lower-tier race like the Gr.3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 18.
The son of Redwood has won in excess of A$700,000 after beginning his career with Peter and Dawn Williams, who at that stage trained in partnership with Paul Richards, in New Zealand.
Originally slated to go through Westbury Stud’s 2015 Karaka Yearling Sale draft, a throat infection resulted in the Gerry Harvey-bred youngster being withdrawn and enter training with the Byerley Park conditioners.
Bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo negotiated a half-share in the horse on OTI Racing’s behalf after winning a trial and the striking brown gelding won on debut at Ellerslie and transferred across the Tasman after his fourth start, where he has gone on to add a further eight career wins.
