A gutsy move by Brett Prebble early in the day paid off and provided the blueprint for his winning ride aboard Familists, as a long-term plan to target the HK$1.8 million ATV Cup came to fruition for trainer David Hall.
After a massive 12.5mm of rainfall between the third and fourth events saw the Sha Tin track deteriorate rapidly, Prebble gunned straight for the outside fence upon turning in the fifth on favourite Common Goal. It was a daring move, considering no other jockey had ventured that far off the inside fence to that point, but once successful, it became the pattern of the day and Prebble replicated the ploy on Familists in the feature.
After sitting back further than originally planned in the run because of the yielding track, three deep with cover, and rounding the turn widest of the field, Prebble drove Familists to the line for a decisive 11/4-length victory.
'It's a good feeling when you go wide like that and you're right,' Prebble said. 'You don't have to walk the track to know it will be like that, especially when the rail is in the 'C+3' and it rains like this, it is just faster out there. You can't go too wide on the turn, you've got to get it right, you can't get straight to the outside, it is all about how you get there.'
Hall had picked out yesterday's handicap as an ideal target for a consistent horse approaching his best mark after three wins, but probably just below the very best in town.
'When he won earlier in the season we thought it would start getting tough to find the right races for him and this might be the last chance to win something like this,' Hall said.
After a mid-season let-up, the progression of distances during the winner's mini-preparation - from 1,000m to 1,400m, where Familists was fourth both times - and then on to the target race, was very Australian in its style and execution.