1 DESIGNS ON ROME – Joao Moreira: “It’s like dream come true. Last year I wasn’t able to be on the game and this year I’m on. I’m very glad of that. Obviously it’s all about the good horses I sat on top, and the support from connections. I had two rides on him before this race, and I learnt a lot about him. We put it all together today and got the job done. I had to work hard but he showed me how much ability he’s got. He’s such a good horse. He’s the kind of horse you have to get going on early otherwise he’s not going to have enough time to catch up with them. I was able to turn for home not too far off the leaders, and the leaders had gone quite hard. I just had to challenge the horses in front of me, who were hard to get past, but he’s proven himself such a good horse and he’s got the job done. He does have such a great turn of foot. Military Attack was fighting towards the line but he got there.”
2 MILITARY ATTACK – Zac Purton: “My horse ran great but the winner’s a very good horse and there were no excuses, he just got us today.”
3 CRITERION – Hugh Bowman: “He ran a super race. He raced much closer to the speed which wasn’t really by design but he began well, travelled well, gave a kick and was just run down by two good ones.”
4 CIRRUS DES AIGLES – Corine Barande-Barbe: “He had a good trip and came by nicely to enter the last stretch but here, on a ground that firm, he wouldn’t give it all. He holds on but doesn’t dare to pass that last gear that usually makes a difference. It was the same last year. Too bad really. Yet he’s still in the frame and that’s good. I don’t know what is next for him but I would suppose that Dubai remains the likeliest option.”
5 HELENE SUPER STAR – Mirco Demuro: “He ran very well but there was not enough pace early on and he missed the start. With a stronger pace, I would have been fourth.”
6 FARRAAJ – Andrea Atzeni: “The pace did not suit him – they did not go very quick and it ended up as a sprint. He needs an end to end gallop.”
7 ARCHIMEDES – Yasunari Iwata: “I wanted to save him for a late run, but as he had long layoff, he was not fluid during the trip.”
8 CALIFORNIA MEMORY – Matthew Chadwick: “He’d been working well and I was expecting a big run. He jumped well and was where I wanted him to be but when they quickened I was just off the bridle a bit and he couldn’t pick. Maybe age is just catching up with him.”
9 SAME WORLD – Nash Rawiller: “I thought he ran great. I was following Criterion there to the furlong but obviously a lot of class horses then put him to bed. Coming back in grade, in handicaps, he’d be competitive next start, for sure.”
10 PLEASURE GAINS – Gerald Mosse: “He’s a lovely horse but the draw didn’t help him. I gave him some time to relax but he still picked up though not enough.
11 ENDOWING – Brett Prebble: “No comment.”
12 BLAZING SPEED – Neil Callan: “His draw was no help but he was off the bridle a long way out. It was not his day today.”
