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Back to basics does the trick for Cristoforo |
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Craig Brennan |
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Trainer Steven Burridge came to Friday night’s meeting hoping for a winner but left with a winning double under the belt. After winning the opener with Dare To Win, Burridge backed up that success with Cristoforo in the $55,000 Class 4 Stakes over 1800m. Ridden by Ronnie Stewart, Cristoforo scored by a length-and-a-quarter over Bowie Knife (Danny Beasley) with rank outsider Formidable Quest (Mark Gallagher) a half-length away third.
Burridge is having a record breaking season and sits comfortably atop the
Trainer’s Premiership Table with 54 winners, already
eclipsing the 51 winners he prepared in the 2008 season.
“I came here hoping for a winner tonight and here we have
a double,” said Burridge. “I’m absolutely rapt with the result.”
Burridge said he went right the way back to basics with Cristoforo who
struggled at his latest outing when sixth just a week ago.
“I decided to take all the gear off him and just hope for
the best,” said Burridge.
“He got quite badly galloped on three starts back and his
leg blew up. He needed a couple of months off and when he ran third to Blitz
two starts back I thought we had him back.
“But he did a lot of things wrong last week, so we took
the blinkers off him and all the other gear and here he is back in the
winner’s circle.”
Stewart said he was waiting for the gelding to “turn
it up”
and said he was at “about 90% tonight”.
“He’s a real thinker,” said Stewart. “He’s got the ability to win these Class 4 races by three
lengths but he doesn’t always put in.
“Full marks must go to Steven for taking all the gear off
him and getting him right, but he did think about turning it up a couple of
times there in the straight.”
Cristoforo, a six-year-old |
