It's A Knockout stuns rivals with dominant victory
It's A Knockout dealt rivals an emphatic blow to put a Winter black type tilt on the agenda following his first-up demolition job at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare packed plenty of punch as she floored rivals in a sensational Traffic Warden @ Darley Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) triumph.
Star apprentice Braith Nock said the hardest thing about the race was 'pulling her up' as It's A Knockout ($6) spaced rivals by four-and-a-quarter lengths with Oh Diamond Lil ($4.60) and Glad You Think So ($31) filling the minor placings.
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The Maher stable had come to Randwick expecting a bold fresh showing and It's A Knockout delivered.
'We did learn a bit about her last prep,' Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
'Because she is a Dundeel, we always thought stepping over a trip would suit but I think she is just a good fresh horse and she is a bit sharper than we thought she would be in time.
'She proved that today and it was a beautiful ride. He ended up in a great spot from a trickier barrier.
'He took his time and exposed her at the right time and she was dominant late.'
It's A Knockout is building an excellent record in a short amount of time with three wins and three placings from eight starts.
She was placed in a Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m) during the autumn and is destined to get another crack at stakes grade next month.
Maher plans to target the Listed $200,000 Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 19.
• Brave One's wide run no obstacle in Randwick triumph
'It's in four weeks over 1500m,' Gerard-Dubord said.
'She has some black type already but not a stakes winner yet so it's probably the right race.'
Meanwhile, Quantum Cat ended a frustrating run of outs to break his Australian duck in The Living Turf Benchmark 88 Handicap (1800m).
Quantum Cat won three of his first five starts to begin his racing career in the UK but hasn't been able to replicate that form since moving to Australia in 2024.
The Chris Waller-trained import put the writing on the wall with a pair of placings in the lead-up before snaring his first win at his 13th attempt on Australian soil.
'It was a good win,' Waller's assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
'I think the last couple of races we have ummed and aahed whether he has been applying himself fully.
'At Hawkesbury two starts ago he was a little bit unlucky where he got struck across the nose so we gave him the benefit of the doubt.
'Time and time again the jockeys keep saying he is applying himself, he just needs conditions to suit and he got exactly that today.'
• Lulumon bounces back with stunning win
Jockey Zac Lloyd had Quantum Cat in striking distance behind the leaders and looked to have plenty to offer in the run.
Quantum Cat ($3) was able to go through his gears from the top of the straight and was strong late to hold off the fast-finishing Hollywood Hero ($12) by three quarters of a length.
Kirkeby ($81) ran on for third.
Lloyd felt a favourable draw proved pivotal to helping Quantum Cat finally return to winning ways.
'I was able to use that barrier which helped,' Lloyd said.
'The first furlong was a little bit tricky whether to utilise our speed or come back in behind Braith (Nock) but I opted to roll forward and it enabled me to dictate the race from third.
'The horse was good today.
'We took a bit of winding up from about the 500m but once I balanced up and straightened up, he got outside Zaphod, and I thought I was going to be hard to run down.'
Duckworth said the stable will keep the door open for Quantum Cat to back-up next week in the Listed $200,000 McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens.
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