Whyte uncorks a bit of luck
Champion jockey Douglas Whyte had a glass of wine and a timely phone call to thank after Po On Win gave him the middle pin of a treble in yesterday's fourth contest. The first leg of David Hayes' birthday double was an unexpected pairing which happened quite by chance after Basil Marcus was suspended earlier in the week.
'Douglas and I often have a side bet in the paddock about my horse beating his and the loser has to pay in wine,' Hayes explained. 'So on Tuesday night, I went to Douglas' house to pay him for three times he had beaten me, and I brought a bottle of Chateau Lafitte to dinner. We were having our meal and Basil rang, said he had been given seven meetings and could not ride Po On Win. I'm sitting there with Douglas and Shane Dye and asked them if they had rides. Shane was booked for Cogito but Douglas jumped up and said he was on one that didn't have much form. He moved very quickly and got off it to ride Po On Win.'
Whyte, who also had wins on Charity First and Precision, quipped: 'And that win was even smoother than the wine. They should change this horse's name to Lafitte.'
Just as Marcus had in Po On Win's surprise win first-up, Whyte drove him forward from a wide alley to be with the pace throughout and Po On Win showed the qualities of a future middle distance horse to keep fighting on. 'He has done a good job to win,' Hayes said. 'The leaders went very quick and he had plenty of work to do. He got tired late in the race but he was entitled to get tired. Probably the wide draw has suited him each time this season because he can work across as he goes forward. From an inside draw he might have to be bustled too much.'
Hayes believes Po On Win, by his Caulfield Cup winner Fraar, will get longer trips eventually but plans to keep him to 1,600 metres and below for the time being.
