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Mount Gambier-trained gallopers Glaneuse and Riceman have landed an unlikely quinella in the Winter Championship Final at Flemington.
Mount Gambier-trained gallopers Glaneuse and Riceman have landed an unlikely quinella in the Winter Championship Final at Flemington.
Glaneuse ($31), trained by Mick O'Leary, held off the Dean Saxon-trained 10-year-old Riceman ($11) to score by 1-1/4 lengths in the $200,000 Listed feature over 1600m.
Geelong-trained Rocky Times ($6.50) charged home late to be a half-neck away third.
Both O'Leary and Saxon feared the track, which was a rated a dead (4), would be too firm for their mud runners.
"I'm amazed. Honestly, I am amazed," O'Leary said.
He said Glaneuse missed an important lead-up run when the final heat of the Winter Championship series was called off at Hamilton's waterlogged track last Sunday.
"I had the shits with the world when he couldn't run last week," O'Leary said.
Glaneuse qualified for the Winter Championship Final at his last start when he finished fourth to Nicastro at Warrnambool on June 14.
That race was over 1300m and O'Leary was worried that the jump to 1600m may have been too much for Glaneuse.
O'Leary said he only ran Glaneuse on Saturday because there wasn't a suitable 1400m race for him in Victoria or Adelaide.
"I had nowhere to go but here," O'Leary said.
"I thought what I am doing here but we are here, got the money, and are very happy people."
O'Leary paid tribute to jockey Linda Meech who had Glaneuse racing in the first six and then produced him wide out on the track rounding the home turn.
"I couldn't believe it that he was up there so close," O'Leary said.
"She just rode him a treat."
Meech said Glaneuse travelled like a winner all the way through the race.
"I was going to slot in behind Nikita Beriman on Nicastro but they weren't going that quick," Meech said.
"At the 600 metres I couldn't believe how well I was travelling."
Glaneuse reached the lead from Tiakinui at the 300 metres which unnerved Meech.
"I thought I was left a sittingshot but he did a really good job," she said.
Saxon was full of praise for Riceman who last year finished third to Doubtful Jack and Pinnacles in the Winter Championship.
"I thought the firm track might pull him up today but there was just enough give in it for him," Saxon said.
He noted that Riceman won a heat of the Winter Championship six years ago when many of the runners in Saturday's final were not even born.
"He is such a good horse and loves the mile (1600m) here," Saxon said.
Jockey Luke Nolen told trainer Jason Clifford he got held up behind horses on Rocky Times and that had he got out earlier he may have won.
