When Matt Jones took Disturbance for a walk on Sunday morning, he finished up feeling extremely confident about his gelding’s chances in the looming Dubbo City Toyota Gold Cup.
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Jones had arrived a day prior to Sunday’s feature event, after traveling to race on the day had not panned out well at Albury and Kensington recently.
The extra time to prepare made all the difference, as $31 chance Disturbance bounced back from a last-placed finish and took out the $60,000 feature at Dubbo Turf Club.
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Jones, part of the Barbara Joseph and Paul and Matt Jones training team, was delighted to see the Kiwi gelding show his true colours.
“He shows us a lot and his past form in New Zealand is unbelievable,” Jones said, this being just the start Disturbance has had for the stable.
“We took him to Moruya first-up and he was fantastic and then at Albury on a heavy 10, or a heavy 25 really, he cruised up but I think that flattened him for Sydney (Kensington).
“We travelled down a day before this and I think that made a massive difference. He came the day before and this morning I took him out and walked him and he was just on his toes.
“I rang my mum and my brother and said ‘today’s the day’ and it worked out well. I’m really happy.”
Mathew Cahill produced a fine ride on Disturbance in the open feature event, tracking the leader early before toughing it out late.
Top weight and class runner of the field, Gauguin (Jeff Penza, $7), got away extremely well from the widest gate and took control of the race immediately, while country cup campaigner Red Knot (Serg Lisnyy, $6.50 equal favourite) sat second ahead of Disturbance and Miami Dade (James Innes Jnr, $10).
Gauguin built a dominant lead at the front but with 61kg on his back, began to fade in the straight as a whole crowd of contenders began to loom.
Cahill moved to the inside of the tiring leader and got to the front, but there was still plenty of work to do.
Despite tiring late, Disturbance hung on to win by three-quarters-of-a-length from the fast-finishing A Magic Zariz (Winona Costin, $6.50 equal favourite) and Marquee (Robbie Dolan, $12).
”It was a magnificent ride from Matty Cahill,” Jones said.
“That’s why you put those guys on. We knew there was speed on and we didn’t want to get too far back. It was a great ride.”
Cahill had spoken to fellow jockey Sam Weatherly in the lead-up to the cup as he was someone who had seen Disturbance race in New Zealand.
The report was a positive one and after taking out Sunday’s feature, the experienced hoop said more wins could well be on the horizon.
“They went quick but he put himself into the race before the turn and he toughed it out at the finish,” he said.
“He was getting tired in that last hundred but he had enough at the end.”
Cahill was the lone jockey to finish the meet with a double.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
