Assertive Lad wins Doncaster April 14, 2001 Gai Waterhouse responded to the critics who said Assertive Lad hadn't come up this preparation by sending him out to win her fifth Doncaster Handicap at Randwick today. Last season's champion two-year-old gave nothing else a chance when he led all the way to take out $2.5 million race by 2-3/4 lengths from Shogun Lodge, with Weasel Will three-quarters of a length away third. "He's the best, just the best," Waterhouse said. "He was the champion two-year-old and now he's a champion three-year-old. "Why wouldn't he come back? Champions keep producing. "He spat in the eye of all the knockers. This is the sweetest Doncaster I've won." Waterhouse won the race in 1994 and 1995 with Pharaoh, Sprint By got home in 1996 and Secret Savings was victorious in 1997. It was the first win in the race for jockey Chris Munce who rated it up with his Golden Slipper and Melbourne Cup wins in 1998. It was especially gratifying because Munce had been threatened with the sack after Assertive Lad's unplaced run in the George Ryder Stakes and the call went out to Hong Kong-based Shane Dye but he was unable to make the trip. "This is my first Doncaster and it has to be my most satisfying win," Munce said. "There was speculation about who would ride him but Gai stuck with me. What can you say about her. She is the best trainer there is. "The Melbourne Cup is the Melbourne Cup but this is not far behind." Munce said even he was a little surprised at how easily he had won. "I clicked him up at the 300m and he just put four lengths on them," he said. "I kept waiting for something to come at me but he'd spreadeagled them. He'd lobbed in front early and had enough speed to get there. "I rode him aggressively and that's obviously the right way to ride him. If he settles back he tends to loaf. You have to make him race and when you do that, he really sticks to the job." AAP TURF

back to News Page