Pic: Dan Costello
The 5y.o. gelding Equissential today emphasised the virtue of patience, when he convincingly won the Class 6 Handicap over 1600 metres at Doomben. His rider Jason Letherby didn’t show as much patience as the gelding’s trainer when he seized the initiative by driving the gelding into a forward position as the early pace was non existent and took Equissential to the lead 800 metres out and then to kick away on turning for home to maintain a healthy lead to win by 2.5 lengths on the line.
On the other hand, Equissential’s trainer, Neville Saunders is a man of great patience. Nev has believed in this horse since purchased as a yearling from the Glenlogan draft at the 2009 Magic Millions Sales. By Jetspur from Belle of the Ball he is a ½ brother of another well performed gelding raced by the O’Brien family of Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm. That gelding, Express Ball, (by Success Express), did the owners proud especially when he
raced in their orange and emerald green colours in Macau winning the Gp.3 Macau Galaxy.
But back to Equissential. Today’s win was his fourth from 43 starts and boosted his career earnings to almost $230K and the best may be yet to come.
Neville’s immediate goal for Equissential is to have the gelding contest the Magic Millions Stayers Cup over 1800 metres in a fortnight.
And, if in fact “Patience is a Virtue”, then Neville Saunders and Equissential deserve an opportunity to compete in that race.
