Beaten Group 1 jockeys: Victoria

Caulfield hosted three Group 1s on Saturday.

There were plenty of stars who tasted defeated. Read what their jockeys had to say.

James McDonald (Buckaroo): “I was happy with him, I thought he was just a tad below his best because he was there to win and he just grinded it out, a bit one-paced.”

Jamie Melham (Hezashocka): “Ground was just way too firm for him.”

Damian Lane (Treasurethe Moment): “She travelled comfortably throughout, I thought I had the race won at the 600, I just had to bide my time and go when it was right, and then upon straightening I was beaten. She really laboured late, which was really unlike her. Normally when she travels that strong she really quickens, so first thoughts are disappointing without dissecting the race, going through the sectionals and everything like that, but I would expect at her best she’d go past Globe.”

Luke Nolen (Desert Lightning): (no comment available).

Jamie Mott (Pinstriped): “He’s gone really well but hasn’t had much luck. He raced in restricted room early in the race but he has finished off well.

Blake Shinn (Evaporate): “He was gallant in defeat. I think winning that Sandown Stakes against Transatlantic and getting the weight penalty was probably the difference. All in all we had a reasonable run, three-wide with cover, and with the norton-bit on today he raced a bit more truly and he went down fighting. I thought it was an admirable effort.”

Billy Egan (Feroce): “He probably wasn’t himself sitting outside the leader today.”

Ethan Brown (Sepals): “Copped a lot of interference this horse up the top of the hill. There were plenty of excuses and hopefully he comes through the run OK.”

James McDonald (Lazzura): “She ran well, got a lovely run. She zipped home but turning for home she was a little flat-footed.”

Damian Lane (Leica Lucy): “Good run. We had to concede a bit more ground that I would have liked from the wide draw than I would have liked. We were a touch flat around the corner but she was good late.”

Jamie Melham (Damask Rose): “Enormous run. She’s been knocking on the door for a while this horse and she just needs some luck.”

Craig Williams (Athanatos): “This horse acquitted himself really well. Full credit to Phillip Stokes and his team in preparing him for this really tough assignment for him. He had a nice gate which he was able to utilise, but they were just too strong for him. I feel he’s still got some more to come.”

Craig Williams (Rivellino): “It was a great gear change move to take the blinkers off. Got into a lovely position, the winner was inside me, but all of a sudden when the pressure came on I didn’t have a horse to really pick up and go. At the end he really stayed on well. Kris Lees and the trainer of the horse has many options going forward.”

James McDonald (Wodeton): “He just found Caulfield a bit tough.”

Mark Zahra (Vinrock): “He tried his best, ran fourth, had every chance.”

Blake Shinn (Nepotism): “He ran really good. Just never got the luck from the turn onwards, but beautiful animal and if he had a bit more luck he would have run OK.”

Ben Melham (West Of Swindon): “I thought he felt the ground a little bit, he’s probably looking for a bit more forgiving surface.”

Declan Bates (Highvol): “He’s run OK. Obviously we got back a bit from the gate but he’s ready to 2000 plus now so I think we get him out over further he’ll be running really well.”

Jamie Melham (Navy Pilot): “He ran well. It was a messy-run race for him, we got shortened early and overraced after that. A lot of things went wrong and I just said to the team, I think he’s probably better at 1400.”

Beau Mertens (Space Rider): “We got into the right spot, obviously we were a bit far back but we followed the favourite, unfortunately that horse didn’t take us where we needed to be. He sprinted at the top of the straight and he probably just peaked on his run late, so he’s probably just looking to drop back to 14 (hundred).”

Harry Coffey (Prestige Ole): “He didn’t have a crack so I just advised them maybe come back a little bit in grade and put a set of blinkers on him.”

Luke Currie (Hillier): “We ran well, he was quite quick from the side draw, he just doesn’t give himself a rest through the run. He’s just got to learn to settle a bit better.”

Thomas Stockdale (Stay Cosmic): “I just couldn’t get into the race from the gate. I was happy with his work after the line, which suggests he’ll get further.”

Jordan Childs (Planet Red): “He went super. The race worked out well for him. We got a good track into it, he presented, but the winner was too good. He ran as well as he could.”

Daniel Stackhouse (Romantic Encounter): “He ran well, I just thought the run that I did have he should have finished off a little bit better.”

Ethan Brown (Observer): “Huge run. The run presented and shut, it cost him a lot of momentum, but he still picked himself up and ran third. He would have gone very close. They’re taking the right steps forward with him, he will stay.”