General News
4 November, 2021
Seawhatyouthink wins Mortlake Cup
WANGOOM-BASED trainer Matthew Williams admits there is still plenty of upside to Seawhatyouthink following the gelding’s Mortlake Cup win on Sunday.
WANGOOM-BASED trainer Matthew Williams admits there is still plenty of upside to Seawhatyouthink following the gelding’s Mortlake Cup win on Sunday.
The son of Cox Plate-winner So You Think, Seawhatyouthink dominated the $30,000 event to record a 1.75 length victory under the guidance of star hoop Dean Yendall ahead of Black Syrah and Takumi.
Still only lightly-raced, Seawhatyouthink dictated the race’s terms and led the entire way of the 2000 metre event despite trainer and jockey confirming post-race leading was not a strength of the horse.
“That’s probably not his go but we thought there would be a lack of tempo in the race,” Williams said.
“I said to Dean it’s an open book, you can ride him for how he feels and he finished up in front.
“You could see he was looking around the whole way around and Dean came back and said he would be better following something.
“You could see he had his ears pricked and even up the straight he was having a good look but he got a soft lead and was able to quicken and control the race how we wanted to and improve the tempo.”
Seawhatyouthink’s win was significant for the imported galloper’s career, with Williams having to rehab the horse from a tendon injury when it arrived from France.
OTI Racing, which owns the horse, sent the six year-old to Williams, with the trainer previously nursing other OTI horses, including former star Gailo Chop, back to full fitness.
The rehabilitation program has paid dividends with one cup win, but Williams and OTI are hoping to add another in the coming days.
The trainer confirmed the horse would be accepted for Sunday’s $70,000 Ararat Cup, with the horseman also casting his eye on a potential start in the Ballarat Cup later this month if all goes to plan.
“At this stage we’ll accept for the Ararat Cup on Sunday. After the soft run I thought he would bounce well off it and a race like that would suit him,” Williams said.
“We’ll probably go that way first and then work our way into town because he’s still pretty lightly-raced and has only had three Australian starts now.
“He’s got upside and he’s got the potential to get over a little bit further and then it’s a fortnight into the Ballarat Cup meeting.
“He could potentially go to the Ballarat Cup but there is also a restricted race over 2000 metres worth $130,000 so there’s a couple of options for him.”
The win was also extra special for the trainer, who trained the Mortlake Cup winner in his own right for the first time.
However, it was not the first occasion he has been involved in a cup triumph at Mortlake, given he previously played a front-line role in the preparation of 2019 winner Miss Damita.
The horse was stabled at his training complex despite being under the name of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr for that win.
“Any of these country cups are great to win, especially at the likes of Mortlake, Camperdowns, Terangs, Casterton, Coleraine and Hamilton,” he said.
“They keep us going through the year with trials and to get horses on running on those days but they also let us trial horses for when they are ready to head to town or other places.
“We rely very heavily on having trials and gallops at these tracks so to then go and win the cup at them (places), it’s a good thrill.”
