With jockey Mark Zahra in sensational form so far during the Melbourne Cup carnival, it was the Henry Dwyer trained Ghaiyyath 3yo Different Gravy who gave the leading jockey his sixth win from just nine rides so far, charging from back in the field to win the Listed $200,000 VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) on Tuesday.
Starting favourite off the back of his fast finishing second in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) last start at Morphettville, Different Gravy drifted back to settled in the last few after jumping from the outside barrier of 15.
Racing wide, outsider Super Paradise had the lead, with Richard and Will Freedman’s Luna Bay (NZ) on the rail, while the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Champagne Hero was also slightly wide but was getting cover behind Super Paradise.
Making his move slightly early, jockey Blake Shinn urged Champagne Hero forward before the home turn with the son of Maurice (Jpn) hitting the lead as the field cornered for home.
Kicking at the 300m mark, Champagne Hero and Obvious looked set to fight it out, but those who had backed the favourite Different Gravy had nothing to worry about as Zahra came with an outstanding run down the outside.
Hitting the lead passing the 100m mark, Different Gravy was eased down on the line to win by two lengths from Matt Cumani’s Brave Smash gelding Brave Danza who had worked his way through the field, while holding on for third in a head bobbing finish was Obvious.
Different Gravy took his record to a pair of wins and two placed efforts from seven starts with earnings of $180,145.
With a small stable, Dwyer was over the moon with how his runners have performed so far during the Melbourne Cup carnival.
"It is incredibly hard as a small stable to have runners let alone winners at this time of year,” said Dwyer.
“We've got 45 in work and we've got three runners for the week. The first two have run second and first, the other is later on in the week.
“Incredibly proud of the team, and the owner of this horse Korey McCormick who bred this horse. He's been involved from day one and is a devotee of the game. He loves it so I'm very pleased with him.
“We had the choice of going on a Derby path with him but we were just holding him back a bit. They've got a new race at Caulfield in three weeks - a 2000m race worth $400,000.
“We thought he wasn't mentally ready and you saw that today when he wanted to be a bit keen. I think we've given him the right lead-up for a race like that. A great win today and probably should have won last time.
“Korey bought the mare about five years ago. Vin Cox advised him to go to (sire) Ghaiyyath - Vin Cox advised him all the way through.
“He caught a plane from Brisbane to Melbourne and then a train to Swan Hill to watch his maiden two starts ago. I got him (the horse) two years ago when he was a short-legged dumpy little thing but his pedigree is great.”
With six wins, a second, third and fourth from his first nine rides at the carnival, Zahra is happy to take it one ride at a time.
"Let's just take it day by day, if we win the Cup that's good enough but it's good to be flying at the moment,” said Zahra.
“They (Ghaiyyath's) are all a bit the same, all a bit goey, but geez, he let rip though, come from near last, stop-start tempo, just sort of held him together as long as I could, once he got into the middle of the track, it was a massive win.
“I was behind Arabian Prince and he sort of didn't take me anywhere. I was all over his heels but I didn't want to let rip until I got into the straight.
“To do that off a stop-start tempo and to let rip is the sign of a good horse. Barrier 15 of 15 and having to be far back, probably halfway you wouldn't have been thinking the best."
Bred and raced by Queensland’s Mr Korey McCormick, Different Gravy is the lone runner, and winner out of the Godolphin bred Medaglia D'oro mare Venerated, who was purchased for just $6,000 via the 2020 Inglis Digital July (Early) Online Sale by McCormick.
A three-quarter-sister to the Listed-winning, Group 2 placed Federal, Venerated is the dam of an unraced 2yo colt by Earthlight (IRE) named Mr Flourescent who is also in the Ballarat stable of Henry Dwyer.
From the family of multiple Group 1 winners Broadsiding and Prized Icon, Venerated was covered by Ghaiyyath once again in the following season but there is no result on the Australian Stud Book, before no mare return the following season.
Darley’s Ghaiyyath has surely made a case to have his passport stamped in Australia once again having had 28 Australian runners highlighted by ten winners, with Different Gravy becoming his fourth local stakes winner headed by last Saturday’s Group 1 VRC Derby winner Observer, who was also ridden by Zahra.
