Leadership Spill Passes Distance Challenge

Rockhampton speedster Leadership Spill proved he’s more than a one-trick pony when he passed a major distance test on a wet track at Cluden Park yesterday.

The Tim Cook-trained gelding scored his first win beyond 1100m when he powered through the mud to win the Carlton & United Breweries Open Hcp (1200m) for leading hoop Lacey Morrison.

Cook is now keen to push the six-year-old over further and is even contemplating a tilt at the Mackay Newmarket and Cleveland Bay Hcp.

And he has heavy-weight jockey Ashley Butler to thank for encouragement to extend Leadership Spill out over further after he beat him in a race in Mackay.

“Ash rode the winner in Mackay the other day and said put him over 1200m where he can get there easier without doing the extravagant work,” Cook said.

“Up here in the north they go harder in the shorter distances where in Brisbane they get there easier.

“He just can’t lead all the time over the shorts but at the 1200m he can. He settled good enough today even though he didn’t really handle the wet track. 

“He waited for them in the last 50m. Lacey said when they got close he gave a kick.

“So hopefully going forward we can aim for the better quality races now because the 1000m there’s not much of a window, but if you can get 1200m or 1300m you’ve got a big window.

“I’ll take the shades (blinkers) off up to 1300m.  A race like the Cleveland Bay where there’s high tempo I think he’ll come off the bridle and I think he can be ridden a bit more conservatively. 

“Obviously Mackay and Townsville are the two tracks we’ll have to look. Rocky and the big long straight will find him out and I do think my horses go better on these tighter turning tracks.

“I was very confident today. I think he’s a very good horse - the best I’ve had in a very long time – probably since Conca Del Sogno.”

The stable confidence showed in the betting with Leadership Spill backed in to run $2.3 favourite before landing his second Cluden win in as many starts.

Morrison also scored on the promising Phantom Spirit Mitavite Cl3 Plate (1000m) to pick up a winning double and take back the lead in the Townsville premiership with 16 wins, one ahead of Nathan Day.

Hard working jockey Pietro Romeo capped a return to form with a polished ride to win on Forseti for trainer Georgie Holt in the Hygain BM 65 Hcp (1609m).

Romeo, fresh from a boilover win on 60-1 shot Touch Of Bali, at Innisfail on Saturday, was rapt with Forseti’s fast finishing win.

“I ride a bit of work for the Holts and it was nice to pick up Forseti. I know the horse from when I rode him when Steve Potiris had him and I was actually meant to ride the horse early on for the Holts but I had rides for other connections and it never eventuated. 

“That’s his third win for the Holts and the horse has really jumped out of the ground, felt good today and had a lovely run.

“He came into it with a recent win, I knew he could get the trip and with a small field he had a trouble free run and my confidence was up. ”

Romeo was based in Townsville for two years before a stint in Sydney where he was caught in the Covid lockdown for 12 months.

He returned to Townsville in March last year as soon as the restrictions were lifted and is again one of the busiest jockeys at the track riding as stable jockey for David Reynolds and Megan Purvis, and outside stables where he can.

Justin Stanley was also in fine touch yesterday with a double of his own on the Jared Wehlow-trained Phospher Bronze in the Cluden Park Mdn (1200m) and the impressive Seductive Spur in the Trackside Photography 3YO 0-60 Hcp (1000m) for trainer Clinton Taylor.

The meeting started with a Good 4 track rating but was quickly downgraded to a Heavy 8 after a deluge of rain between races two and three.

Pictured: Leadership Spill with trainer Tim Cook and jockey Lacey Morrison.

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