Favourite punters following the Cody Morgan-trained Cannoli were rewarded with a sweet treat at Monday’s Wine Country Race Club meeting held on the Newcastle Beaumont track.
Ridden by champion jockey Aaron Bullock, the three-year-old started the well-supported $2.15 favourite in the 1300m Class One Handicap, settled a little better than midfield on the rail, and looked an ominous threat turning for home.
Instead of peeling wide, Bullock opted for the inside run, and with a half-furlong to go, the Tamworth galloper was only in a battle for third, with punters already finding excuses.
Still, under the hard riding of Bullock, Cannoli found something and split the leading pair to win by 0.07 of a length from the Jan Bowen-trained Ollie’s Secret (Reece Jones, $3.10), while only 0.19 of a length back in third was the Stephen Gleeson-trained Irish Kin (Andrew Gibbons, $31).
Stable representative Glenn Morgan put the win back on Bullock, who showed some ticker to take the gap and push through for a bob-of-the-head win.
“There are only two words you can say, and it’s Aaron Bullock,” Morgan said after the win.
“She’s fourth at the 50m, and Aaron has persevered and certainly pushed her through the line and just got ahead at the bob.”
Owned by the Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Ladies, Newton Ladies, and Chesapeake Ladies syndicates, Cannoli is very well bred, being by I Am Invincible and out of Custard, and she demanded a premium price as a yearling, going for $500,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“We don’t get many of those in Tamworth, but we look after them when we do,” Morgan laughed.
“She’s a tough little mare, and this is our first prep with her, and she hasn’t put a bad foot forward yet.
“Sheamus Mills and the crew sent her up to us, and she’s the ladies’ horse, so all the girls down south will be very happy.”
Cannoli has started nine times for two wins and three placings, and Bullock explained that the filly was made to work for the win.
“It was a bit awkward early because of what the horses were doing inside us, but once we found our spot, jeez, we travelled good,” Bullock said.
“They put the speed on from the 600m, so I sort of got left flat-footed chasing, but to the horse’s credit, she dug deep, and the way this track plays, you can’t circle them, and we poked up, and got the bob in.”
Bullock indicated that the filly would improve with more racing and confidence.
“She had a little bit of a spook to the inside horse, whether a whip might have touched her, or she is a bit of a timid thing,” Bullock said.
“I got a feel going to the gates she might be a bit timid, but it just spooked her, and I thought she threw it away, and I got down to that last 10 metres, and I’m just thankful we got the bob in.”
Riding at his home track, Bullock added to his impressive 2022/23 tally, riding three winners on the program, which now has him on 162 ½ victories for the season.
In addition to his win on Cannoli, Bullock guided the Theresa Stair-trained Suva May ($3.70) to victory in the 1350m Maiden Plate and the David Pfieffer-trained Ovoid ($3.10) to a good win in the 1150m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Pfieffer was the leading trainer with two winners, and joining Ovoid in the winner’s circle was Shiffrin ($3.20), which was given a gem of a ride by Grant Buckley in the 1150m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
For all results from Newcastle, click here.
