Successful team strike again
Comeback jockey Brad Rawiller has continued his good form with the Charlotte Littlefield stable producing another winner at Sale.
Rawiller spent eight months on the sidelines and made his comeback to riding earlier this month, with his win on Yes We Are in the Ladbrokes Owners Bonus Maiden (1013m) on Wednesday his third for Littlefield since that return.
“My last three rides for Charlotte have been winners and even before I went away, I had a good record for her,” Rawiller told racing.com.
Riding the speed, Yes We Are ($3.40) broke through for his maiden win from the $3.20 favourite Blethyn by a nose with Tara’s Reward ($6.50) a further 1-½ lengths away third.
Rawiller believes Yes We Are has better wins in store, once he learns how to race.
“He felt terrific going around to the start and he trucked into the race and was going to win quite easily, but when he got to the front, he didn’t know what to do, how to finish it off,” Rawiller said.
“He hasn’t mastered it, he’s having a look, but he’s got a lot of potential.
“He should have won a lot easier than he did today.”
Littlefield swung the gear changes to effect on Wednesday on the advice of the suspended Ben Allen who rode the gelding in his most recent appearance at Seymour.
“Ben Allen rode him last start and said he may have resented that cross-over nose band when coming out of the barriers as he was a bit awkward away,” Littlefield said.
“He said try taking that away and putting on a tongue tie.
“It was a really good suggestion as he reacted well to that gear and the earmuffs got a workout today which helped him settle and leave enough in the tank for the final part of the race.
“We thought he might have the race fitness advantage against Matt Laurie’s horse (Blethyn), and it just paid off at the end.”
The Sale meeting was abandoned after three races when 13 of the 15 jockeys riding in races four and five voted to not continue riding.
The third race on Wednesday’s program was run in heavy rain with strong wind gusts, making visibility difficult.
The track started out as a Heavy 8 but was downgraded to a Heavy 10 prior to the third race.
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