Dear Demi Renews Singo Conners Group 1 Association

Thursday, 08 November 2012 05:31

Dear DemiOwner John Singleton and trainer Clary Conners have had a long association, with Belle Du Jour the best horse that the pair have had together.

While Belle du Jour won at Group 1 level in the Golden Slipper and the VRC Newmarket Handicap, the pair also had an Oaks winner in the Zabeel mare Zagalia, which won the Queensland Oaks in 2003.

But it has been a long time since the pair were involved in a Group 1 horse, with the majority of Singleton's top horses making their way to the Gai Waterhouse stable.

All that changed at Flemington this afternoon when Dear Demi produced an authoritative win in the Group 1 Crown Oaks.

Starting a firm second favourite at $5, Dear Demi came from near last at the 800 metres to outstay favourite Zydeco (2.30-$2.50-$2.40F) by 1¼ lengths in a slogging finish. Third was the lightly raced Summerbliss ($8-$9) which finiahed a length and three quarters behind Zydeco.

Jim Cassidy, John Singleton & Clary ConnersSingleton gave serious consideration to replacing Jim Cassidy on Dear Demi after he put in a poor ride to finish fourth on her in last Saturday's Wakeful Stakes.

"I spoke to Clary on Saturday night and he asked me to talk to Jimmy and he didn't ring me until Sunday and I said we'd just get rid of him and put Nash (Rawiller) on", Singleton said.

"Then Nash got suspended so Jimmy got reinstated."

A relieved Cassidy said:

"It was up to me to turn it around because I didn't give it the best ride last week but that was last week and today is the big pay day."

While Conners wanted Cassidy to ride Dear Demi forward today, the jockey insisted that she would be better ridden back in the field.

Dear DemiCassidy was concerned that he would be posted wide if he went forward and was not keen on the flak he would cop from connections if he did.

For Conners after giving Dear Demi a long preparation, today's race vindicated his judgement that the daughter of Dehere would be up to the task.

“She was so strong today", he said.

"We set her for the race six months ago and this is her seventh run (this campaign) but she is a better horse than what I thought she would be.”

“She has raced in all the big races and she’s had no luck in her last four starts but she kept trying, she’s got a heart as big as anything.”

Photos: Quentin Lang