Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 1 Sportsbet Robert Sangster Stakes won by Climbing Star at Morphettville on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Climbing Star (P Stokes/L Neindorf) - $26
2nd: Learning To Fly (A Neasham/C Schofield) - $10
3rd: Benedetta (J Warren/D Stackhouse) - $9
Winning Time: 1:09.75 Last 600m: 34.65
Margins: ½-neck x ½-head
.@LNeindorf wins his first G1!
— Racing.com (@Racing) April 27, 2024
Climbing Star causes an upset at double figures in the Robert Sangster Stakes @pstokesracing pic.twitter.com/mJ4zHsTJXg
Winning Trainer: Phillip Stokes
On the win: "I was watching the race and I thought what happened, he was meant to get her to the outside. No horse has been in there all day so it's probably evened out towards the end of the day.
"It's great for Lachie to get the win. Tommy and all the boys have done a terrific job with her and the team at Pakenham.
"We brought her over, took her back to Pakenham, brought her over and got her to peak on the day."
Won on debut then hadn't won to this campaign: "She ran in some Stakes races as a younger horse but wasn't quite ready for them, but she's come into her own.
"A big thanks to the owners."
Big difference this campaign: "She's come of age this campaign. She's just starting to blossom now. I still don't think we've seen the best of her. She's got a great spring ahead of her."
Instant Celebrity went to The Goodwood: "We don't have to go there. We'd have to be happy with her to do that, but if she pulls up well, we'll look at it."
Winning Jockey: Lachlan Neindorf
Emotional: "I'm trying to keep it together. It was a really good win. She stumbled at the start and I wanted to be a lot closer, and from that point on I thought, 'bugger this' I've blown the start so let's go back to the inside and try and ride a race. That's what we did and we got the favours."
Busy finish: "A lot was going through my head. I just wanted to treat it like a normal race and I kept saying to myself behind the gates, 'it's a normal race', just go through it like it's a benchmark race.
"So, I cut my losses, went back to the inside and if you run home into a place with even luck, that's good."
Parents being here: "They've been a great part. This isn't for me, it's for everyone here. The Stokes family, my uncle, Richard Jolly, James Jordan.
"We've done it."
Beaten Jockeys:
Jamie Kah (Zapateo): "She was a bit disappointing. I thought she was flying but really pulled up the last 200m."
Blake Shinn (I Am Me): "She was honest. Very good run."
Jordan Childs (Passive Aggressive): "Had a good run. Got the split but she just didn't let down as good as she can."
Daniel Stackhouse (Benedetta): "Super run. Shame to get beaten."
James McDonald (Roots): "1200m is just a tad short for her."
Michael Dee (Skew Wiff): "She's just not the same horse as what she once was."
Blaike McDougall (Lempicka): "She run creditable. Probably rode her a bit upside down. Ultimately it was just a throw at the stumps but she's run well."
Craig Williams (Wonderful Tonight): "Her more favourable ground is heavy ground and we didn't get that today. Under the circumstances she ran really creditable and she wasn't beaten far in the end. "
Todd Pannell (Snapped): "Very good. She had a good run, but was just all out on her feet over the last 100m."
Billy Egan (Waltz On By): "She ran as good as she could, at that level over 1200m."
Mark Zahra (Estriella): "I think she's come to the end of her preparation."
Chad Schofield (Learning To Fly): "Very good filly. Just the draw has cost her the win."
Damian Lane (Stretan Angel): "She ran honest."
