Jason’s record Cup win

By Brad Kingsbury
STAR apprentice jockey Jason Maskiell produced a tactically perfect ride on six-year-old Mornington galloper Blaze Adrift to score a breathtaking victory in the $100,000 Devine Pakenham Cup on Sunday.
Despite the race being described as ‘weak’ by many including winning trainer Kelvin Southey, Maskiell drove the six-year-old gelding to the line to win by a long head over the unlucky Oronero in race record time.
The Mornington-trained winner started from barrier 15, but was speculated in from $14 to $10 late in betting, with bookmakers reporting the result as a blanket loss.
Oronero was steady on the second line of betting at $6, while third place went to the fast-finishing $4.60 race favourite St Ives.
The race started at a frantic pace after outsider In An Instant flew across the field from the outside gate to lead with Xavier, leaving Oronero posted three wide for much of the 1750-metre trip.
Maskiell settled back in the field, but tracked Oronero into the race around the home turn and timed his run perfectly to outstay the Mick Kent trained runner-up.
Winning trainer Kelvin Southey was thrilled, saying that he had only entered Blaze Adrift in the Cup as an afterthought.
“He was in a Showcase race last week and I scratched because of the wet track. I was entering him for the (1750-metre) Showcase race today and thought I might enter him for the Cup as well just in case it came up bit weak, which it did,” he said.
“As soon as I saw the nominations, I thought we would have a crack at it.
“I honestly rated him as no better than a midweek city class horse, but now he’s won a $100,000 race so that’s fantastic.”
Southey acknowledged the owners’ syndicate formed by Ron Tandberg together with Maskiell’s ride, which he described as ‘a treat’.
It was Maskiell’s biggest win in his short career and also his first for Southey.
“Down the back we were a fair way behind and I sat back and used Oronero in the hope we would get a cart into the race which we did,” he said.
“They went quick to start with and he was a bit slow to get there, but once he wound up we were away.”
On a track rated a Good-3 with the assistance of a tailwind in the home straight, Blaze Adrift recorded a time of one minute, 47.13 seconds to beat the mark set by Mr Toff several years ago by 0.6 seconds.
Locally trained starters The Big Ask, Father Dex and Rapid Thrill were among the tailenders in the event.