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Trainer Steven
Burridge edged his way ever closer to the magical 50 winners for the season
when Seize The Day took the $65,000 Restricted Maiden over 1400m on Sunday.
Following a
double on Friday night and his early winner on Sunday, Burridge has now
prepared 49 winners for the season, leading six-time champion trainer Laurie
Laxon by nine winners.
Ridden by
Ronnie Stewart, Seize The Day steamed down the middle of the track to score
by a widening length-and-a-quarter over Grovene Lad (Danny Beasley) with
Jeremy (Saimee Jumaat) a nose away third.
Seize The Day (Ronnie Stewart) runs on strongly to land
the spoils in Race 2.
But Burridge can thank the
recuperative powers of Seize The Day for his success and providing the
owners ¨C Dart Stable ¨C with
their first ever victory.
¡°When I got to the stable at 5am this morning, he was as
lame as a cat,¡± said Burridge.
¡°He pulled off a shoe overnight and stood on the clip. He
could hardly put his foot on the ground.
¡°I got him down to the vets who gave me the time to work
on him and try and get him right.
¡°We had him replated, put his foot in a decron boot and
applied ice for about four hours and luckily he came good.
¡°But you wouldn¡¯t believe it, he
got down to the holding stalls and pulled the shoe off again, but luckily
this time he didn¡¯t stand on the clip.
¡°It was touch and go there for a while, but he¡¯s done the job and provided the owners with their first
ever winner.¡±
Seize The Day was lining-up for
his fourth start on Sunday, coming off a last start third, beaten
four-and-a-half lengths behind Gingerbread Man back on June 25.
Burridge said he could have run
the gelding in the Magic Millions Juvenile Challenge later in the day but
decided on the easier option.
¡°The Magic Millions was an option for him but we thought
this was a better race for him,¡± said Burridge.
¡°He¡¯s still growing and a little
on the immature side, so I thought going for the easier option made sense
and the extra ground was also a bonus.
¡°Plus it gives the owners some confidence in knowing they
have a win under their belt.¡±
Seize The Day, a two-year-old
by Happy Giggle from the Integra mare Freaky Fran, was an A$130,000 purchase
at the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Ready To Run Sale and following his
success on Sunday has now returned the Dart Stable around $45,000 in
prizemoney.
HOOFNOTE: Burridge racked up his 50th winner for the season when Esteem
Power scored in the final event of the day, the $75,000 Class 3 Stakes over
1400m.
Ridden by John Sundradas, Esteem Power scored by a nose over Ten Ten Lai
(Mark Ewe) with Excuse My French (John Powell) a length-and-a-quarter away
third.
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