Marseillaise’s Cup glory

Marseillaise capped off an outstanding season for trainer Tom Pike and jockey Colin Haddon when he won the $100,000 XXXX Gold Broome Cup last Saturday.

Not only did the win ensure Marseillaise won the horse of the year award but Pike, with a winning treble, was the leading trainer for the season and Haddon, also with a winning treble, was the season’s top jockey.

Marseillaise was in great form all season and it was his fifth win while Haddon greeted the judge on 15 occasions and Pike led in 13 winners.

Haddon rode the gelding to perfection over the 2200m. He settled him mid-field early and gradually improved to have the leaders in his sights, approaching the home turn before sending him to the front entering the straight. He fought off late challenges from Indamani and Racso to win by a length.

Indami looked a little unlucky. He was in a commanding position at the 800m but got trapped behind the tiring Seize Control and forced back in the field, and though he finished full of the running the bird had flown.

Pike also won the other feature event on the card, the $40,000 Broome Sprint, when Giles caused a big upset in beating the short-priced favourite Zip Code.

Zip Code was set a hard task when he took on the leader Satan’s Playground for the lead and had nothing in reserve when Giles came on the scene.

Trainer Angela Smith also went out in a blaze of glory with a winning treble. She won the opening race with Feel The Force and followed up in race two when Cat Magic, who had finished last at her two previous starts, finished brilliantly from near last on the home turn.

She wound up the season with a win in the final event when Dastardly, well ridden by Lisa Bivemark, got up in the final few strides to beat Nike Heir. Nathan Stanley, last season’s leading rider, finished the season on a high note when he booted home three winners. He won on Feel The Force before riding two winners for Meryl Hayley who would have been delighted with her first season as a fully fledged trainer.

She was successful with Cool Eyes and followed up in the Linneys-Pearl Classic when Double Swirl beat McDonald and Andretti. It was another highly successful cup meeting for the club with the combined tote turnover of the meeting nearly $1.5 million – the highest on record.