“I was a bit worried at the top of the straight,” said laconic jockey William Pike.
“So was I,” said an equally laconic owner, Bob Peters.
That was the brief conversation between WA’s most successful owner and the top jockey as Pike moved to the scales, after bringing home smart colt Disposition an impressive winner of the listed Fairetha Stakes (1400m).
The Grant Williams trained Disposition has a 100 per cent winning rate from his four starts. With his barnstorming finish, to run down Rommel and Cuanzo, he gave every indication of having no trouble running an extra 200m in the WA Guineas. He looks very hard to beat in that race.
Peters is not inclined to say he considers his latest star another Old Comrade (winner of the 2001 Railway Stakes). However, the enigmatic sphinx like smile perhaps indicates he thinks there is a distinct possibility!
Only a ‘hot breath’ separated Rommel and Cuanzo for the minor places and both looked winners at various stages in the home straight until cut down by Disposition. That gelding flooded home, from a rearwards position, quicker than a Japanese tsunami.
Steven Parnham was unfortunate that he did not join his two younger brothers, and father, trainer Neville Parnham, all winners on the day. But despite his clever rails run on Rommel he just came up against a far better galloper on the day. Nevertheless it was a pleasing return to form by the runner-up after a couple of ordinary runs.
Top apprentice Lucy Warwick hates running second and she narrowly avoided that fate when she ‘bought home the bacon for Dad’ (trainer Justin Warwick) in the last race over 2200m.
Aboard the lightly weighted, This Cat Rocks, she just staved off a challenge from Dubai Escapade (Peter Hall).