Sometimes Everything Works The Way It Is Supposed To
By Michael Cowley
You can do all the homework, look at all the possibilities and information, but so often things just don’t fall into place. However, occasionally it does work out, and when it did for Mark Gatt at Dapto on Thursday night, he walked away with a Group 1 victory.
It all fell perfectly into place for Gatt and as a result his talented young bitch Ritza Donna captured the $75,000 Sportsbet Megastar Final.
“I thought it was a good draw (box 2). I thought she would be first on the fence and she was, and I thought the three (Marvin’s Girl) would lead,” Gatt said. “Everything I thought would happen did happen but I didn’t put any money on her, but, it doesn’t matter it’s good prizemoney.”
Gatt was also delighted too that it’s a 200% prizemoney increase on the previous time he won the Megastar, a decade ago in 2011 with Oaks Road.
As Gatt had pictured it, Marvin’s Girl was able to lead and Ritza Donna was able to cross the red runner Sound Of Silence and be on the back on the leader rounding the first turn.
Heading up the back she worked her way under the leader, but the powerful finisher Sound Of Silence was only a few lengths behind the pair and some would have thought the Group 1 was his.
But Ritza Donna ran home in a very fast 12.43s and had 1¾ lengths in hand over Sound Of Silence on the line. Tachycardic ran home well to grab third, 3¼ lengths away.
The favourite Zipping Kyrgios was away fairly but struck traffic on the first turn and his chances disappeared at the moment.
The winner’s time of 29.43s was 0.05s inside the race record set 12 months ago by Flying Ricciardo.
“Look it worked out good,” Gatt said. “Boxes win race and she was drawn on the inside, she did everything right when it counted.
“I’m just rapt. I just love this little bitch. She’s a good little chaser and I’m so glad she’s got a Group 1. I never thought she would win a Group 1 and she’s put a bit of time on the board too.
“The track is fast tonight, but she ran 29.69s as a baby at her second start. She has always had ability but she just does a few things wrong. But she did it all right tonight.
“You could run that race 10 times and if you swap the box draws, and if she had the pink, she’d be in the carpark and no chance. But, she had the box, and she used it and we have got a Group 1.
Gatt admitted that when Sound Of Silence slid into third behind Ritza Donna and Marvin’s Girl up the back he was concerned.
“I was yeah. When I saw him making a move I thought oh no he’s a bit too close to her, but I think she ran home in 12.43s and you can’t run them down in that.
“This is what you get up every morning for. You want to win group races and when you win them it makes all the hard work and slog worthwhile.”
