It was a terrific day for the stable at Warracknabeal – a winning double that so easily could’ve been a treble if not for a bit of bad luck!
Whilst Geodesic, who was having just his second run for us, was a fast finishing unlucky second after being shuffled back at a vital stage, both Not To Know and Hard Up were able to make their own luck – finding the line in determined fashion.
Working to the lead from a outside gate, Not To Know had his rivals off the bit approaching the turn in the BM64 1800m event and he just kept going – his winning margin a soft 1 3/4 length.
“It was a tough effort,” reported jockey Chris Caserta. “We went at a nice steady tempo and from the half mile he built up momentum and was just too good.”
“That was the plan,” Mitchell Freedman said, “to roll along from that half mile and make it a bit uncomfortable for everyone else. That’s what he did and he was strong all the way to the line.”
It was no surprise to the stable to see Not To Know win with the seven-year-old having shown improvement at each run back from a lengthy injury enforced spell.
“Being an older gelding it has just taken a bit to get to his top,” Mitchell said, “but it was a really tough effort last start when he was quite ready so we used that strength today.”
A home-bred for Bruce Pitts, Not To Know – who had more than a year off the scene with a career threatening suspensory injury – began his racing in Queensland, easily winning at Ipswich in the spring of 2014 and again at the Gold Coast in September 2015.
By US Group One winning miler Nothing To Lose, Not To Know – a full brother to Brisbane winner Knowing Frank – is out of the placed Knowledge mare Last To Know, daughter of the Gr.3 Bagot Handicap winner Camilla.
We did not have to wait long for our second winner for the day, three races later Hard Up proving too strong in the 1200m BM64 event.
Travelling nicely behind the leaders, Hard Up challenged late as three others fought the race out, doing his best work over the very final stages to snatch victory by a head.
It was win number two from just five starts for the son of Hard Spun who has on occasions been a little keen in his races.
“But he has been improving,” Mitchell said with jockey Jordan Childs noting that the four-year-old did travel nicely.
“The initial plan was to lead but a couple went quickly early and I was able to get the one-one which probably worked in my favour.”
“The horse switched off in the middle stages and once he peeled out into the straight he was solid to the line.”
By former Darley shuttler Hard Spun out of the Street Cry mare Broadway Elle, Hard Up was bred and is raced with friends by Michael Hirst. A half-brother to two winners he is a grandson of the Canadian stakes winner Marisa Go and his fifth dam is the influential Kentucky Oaks winner Lalun.
