By Michael Howard (HRV)<\/p>\n
A tradition of success was reinstalled on Redwood Day as Don Smith teamed with the Tubbs family to capture another Group 1 moment.<\/p>\n
Having enjoyed a thrilling run with Alan Tubbs-trained Melpark Mark a tick over a decade earlier, Smith returned to the winners\u2019 circle with Tubbs\u2019 daughters trainer Jess (Myrniong) and co-owner Amy (Gordon) to capture the Aldebaran Park Redwood Classic.<\/p>\n
Cognati, bred in Victoria by David Scott, flew the start while others miss-stepped and then cleared out in the run home to capture the $50,000 crown, with fillies filling the first three placings.<\/p>\n
Reinsman Greg Sugars, who shares Larajay Farms at Myrniong with Jess Tubbs, was rapt post-race and told TrotsVision they\u2019d \u201cliked her from day one\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe picked her out of the yearling sales, and all credit goes to my sister-in-law Amy (Tubbs), she\u2019s the one who saw her first and said you\u2019d better come and have a look at this girl,\u201d Sugars said. \u201cShe\u2019s been my favourite ever since.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Don Smith) got in touch with us on our way home from the sale and said ‘do you need anyone to take a share, because I wouldn\u2019t mind being in the stable again?’<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were more than happy obviously to have him involved with the Tubbs girls with their previous connection with Melpark Major. A lot of special moments there, so really pleased he could join our team and we can get a few special moments of our own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite beginning from the back row of the standing start, Sugars was able to soon work\u00a0his way to the front of affairs on Cognati, aided in part by the mistakes of others including fancied pair Susan Is Her Name and The Locomotive.<\/p>\n
Sugars withstood an early challenge by Rockinwithattitude, which petered out when the latter broke, but young reinsman Jayden Barker was able to steady up, settle four back and then challenge again from the breeze in the final lap.<\/p>\n
However, Rockinwithattitude\u2019s campaign was snuffed out at the final bend when he broke again, this time disadvantaged after Cognati veered out, and the leader was able to scoot away for an eight-metre win ahead of Valerie Lane and Susan Is Her Name, who recovered well after her costly, early miss-step.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Cognati)\u2019s always been exceptional, her manners have been sensational basically right from the word go, apart from veering off the track late \u2013 that\u2019s a bad habit that she\u2019s just got in to,\u201d Sugars said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of half put a sour taste in my mouth, I apologise to connections of Rockinwithattitude for what happened at the top of the straight there.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we got through the traffic early she just felt like the winner from a long way out. She\u2019s an incredibly good horse to deal with and train. You couldn\u2019t ask for a better horse. Just a great doing horse, great type. We love her.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Michael Howard (HRV) A tradition of success was reinstalled on Redwood Day as Don Smith teamed with the Tubbs family to capture another Group 1 moment. Having enjoyed a thrilling run with Alan Tubbs-trained Melpark Mark a tick over a decade earlier, Smith returned to the winners\u2019 circle with Tubbs\u2019 daughters trainer Jess (Myrniong) […]<\/p>\n