Direct Charge To Tackle Inglis Classic

Saturday, 10 November 2012 00:45

Direct Charge Keeps Out Crack A RoadieDirect Charge showed the benefit of race experience by beating off two challengers to win the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington this afternoon.

First he had to overcome Shamus Reward which headed him at the 150 metre mark and then he had to withstand a strong bid by Crack A Roadie over the concluding stages.

It spoke volumes for the determination of the Robbie Laing trained colt that he was able to prevail under circumstances which would have tested a lesser horse.

Winning rider Steven Arnold brought up a hat trick of Flemington Carnival wins having won the last two races on Oaks Day with General Truce and Lord Of Brazil.

"I've had some nice rides in the last couple of days and he did a good job this bloke", Arnold said.

Direct Charge (inside)Laing explained that the pre-race plan worked out with Arnold was to lead if possible based on the apparent lack of pace in the race.

"The idea was to let him roll along up near the lead and at any stage if he was travelling well enough to go forward because he doesn't have an electric finish at the moment".

"There wasn't a heap of speed so we took it up and he travelled nicely", Arnold said.

Laing was confident of a win today based on Direct Charge's last run at Moonee Valley behind Crack A Roadie.

"The form experts generally see a horse three deep sharing the lead and he only got beat by two lengths running fourth so it was an enormous run at Moonee Valley."

"He had no luck and couldn't get in but it wasn't Stevie's (Arnold) fault and he raced three deep the entire trip and got crowded in the straight."

Direct ChargeLaing went to $105,000 to buy Direct Charge from the Huntworth Stud draft at the 2012 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

"We only bought three yearlings last year, we don't get to buy many horses these days", he said.

Despite the small size of his two year old stable, Laing has specialised in producing them early in the season with an impressive strike rate.

"We've won the two-year-old race three of the past four years at Flemington so with a small team of youngsters we are doing alright."

A big well developed horse at 16.1 hands, Direct Charge was purchased with the specific intention of competing in the 2013 $250,000 Inglis Classic race open only to graduates of the Classic Sale.

"I bought him from the January Classic Sale in Sydney and that's been our target the whole time we bought him because he was the second top priced colt", Laing said.

"He'll have a run in Sydney late December or early January and then he'll go to the Classic on January 12 at Rosehill."

Photos: Quentin Lang