Phoenix rises for Cup triumph

By Michael Howard (HRV)

A stunning hour of power for trainer Emma Stewart smashed two long-held Mildura records and captured a very special title for reinswoman Jodi Quinlan, who steered Phoenix Prince to the Tasco Petroleum Mildura Pacing Cup.

The headline win lowered the 2600-metre mark previously held by Im The Boss by 0.4 seconds, just one race after another Stewart runner, Cant Top This, broke Major Crocker’s 2190-metre record that had stood since 2016.

Both were eye-catching performances, but it was the Cup they all came for, particularly Quinlan, with the $60,000 Group 2 her only race for the night.

“Emma and Clayton have been really good to me and this horse is quite special,” Quinlan told TrotsVision.

“They put me on him one of my very first drives back from injury. They took the risk, I hadn’t driven for 12 months and they gave me a drive in a Cranbourne Cup on him and I was just lucky enough that he won.

“So I’ve been able to get back on him since, had a bit of luck on him and he’s been going great.”

And Quinlan was ready to fight to keep the drive on the talented eight-year-old.

“Clayton rang me when the heats were on and said (Mildura’s) ‘a long way for you to go’. He said ‘Mark (Pitt’s) going to go up, is it all right if he drives (Phoenix Prince)’?

“I said, ‘yeah that’s fine, as long as I get to drive him in the final, otherwise I’ll drive the five and a half hours so I don’t lose the drive’. But he said, ‘no, it’s your drive in the final’, so he’s true to his word and that’s why I’m here tonight.”

It again proved a winning combination in an eventful final, with Mailman initially holding all at bay off the gate to lead, but it was the back row that brought the drama.

Scott Ewen worked forward on Bulletproof Boy and briefly appeared to tangle with Boots Electric, which saw the latter break stride.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-04-26/10

in the 26 April 2022 edition
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pick up a paper around your town.