Greg Eurell has had to ride a rollercoaster of emotion with Apache Cat over the last 18 months but he was back on top of the world after winning today's Group 1 Pulse Pharmacy Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Apache Cat (Photo by Bronwen Healy), who strung five Group 1 wins together this time last year, has been beaten at his last four starts, two of those well below his best.
At his last run, the Lightning Stakes at Flemington, he finished third last and was unwanted on course today in betting but bounced back to his best and became just the seventh horse to win the Australia Stakes more than once.
“In the run he looked like he was in it and travelling well, and on straightening it was a wonderful feeling watching him,” Eurell said.
“He's copped a lot of flak over the last fortnight, the poor horse, but the best way to silence the critics is to win.
“He's bounced back over a more suitable distance and we're away again.”
Where to, though, remains the big question as Eurell now has to decide what to aim for.
Last year he raced through the autumn to Sydney then the winter carnival in Brisbane, but Eurell is weighing up whether to campaign the flashy chestnut overseas, with Singapore or England the most likely targets, perhaps even Japan for the Global Sprint Challenge series.
It was the seventh Group 1 win for the six-year-old and his 17th in his 35 start career and finished a top day for Eurell, who not only saw his star back to his best but his rising star in Mic Mac thrash his rivals on his way to the Sydney autumn carnival.
Damien Oliver, who replaced Corey Brown today, settled Apache Cat third on the outside behind Time Thief, who shot straight to the front, and Tesbury Jack, who was slow to begin then worked up to sit second.
Weekend Hussler was fifth and wide throughout with Mind Your Head on the inside, ahead of Orange County and Vormista who struggled to stay in touch early.
The race was on well before the bend as Weekend Hussler edged closer out wider to make a line of four challenging for the lead.
But upon straightening Apache Cat was travelling much the better and kicked away, setting up a winning break.
In a race that changed complexion sharply over the last furlong, Orange County and Vormista flew home, the latter grabbing second ahead of the three-year-old Time Thief who held third.
Orange Country grabbed fourth while the big disappointing of the race, despite covering ground, was Weekend Hussler, who was struggling on the bend and only battled home.
The return of the runner-up was a big performance after the mare failed to come up in the spring.
She ran another top race with a Group 1 placing, her third, for trainer Mark Minervini, who has returned to training only three weeks ago.
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