Mixed fortunes for mother and son

Tue, August 02 2011

As one member of the Arnold family celebrated, the other had every reason to feel despondent.

Former Alice Springs jockey Steven Arnold, who is based in Melbourne and who has made a name for himself throughout Australia and in England, landed his second Darwin Cup yesterday when he guided Hawks Bay to an effortless win. Riding Kingston Reserve, Arnold shared the spoils with Lothaway County (Paddy Payne) in 1995 when they dead-heated.

Despite his win, Arnold would have had compassion for his mother Sheila, who resides and trains in Geelong, after her horse The Ruffian missed out on sealing the elusive Triple Crown, which came with a $100,000 bonus, by finishing sixth. "The Ruffian has had a great Carnival, but it was my turn today," the 36-year-old said. "I know mum will be disappointed, but in turn she'll be happy that a member of the Arnold family at least won the race.

"Hawks Bay deserved to win and after having a lot to do with Territory racing in the past I'm thrilled to bits, it's terrific. He's a marvellous horse, a genuine stayer, and i enjoyed a beautiful ride, but approaching the home turn I was conscious not to go too early. I waited, and even counted to 10, before I hit the go button. "

What makes Hawks Bay's four-length win more significant is that he carried 62kg, but in his four previous starts at Fannie Bay he had 63.5kg in the Bernborough Club Cup, 64.5kg in the ROANT Gold Cup and 63kg in the Chief Ministers Cup and Metric Mile. After winning the Darwin Guineas and NT Derby with The Ruffian, as well as the Palmerston Sprint with Sense Of Sun, Sheila Arnold was unable to pull off what would have been a spectacular coup by winning the Carnival's four feature races.

The Ruffian, with Kerrin McEvoy aboard, didn't enjoy his fourth birthday too much when he was flattened at the 500m before finishing sixth. He made his fellow three-year-olds look second rate in July, but there was always conjecture as to whether he could mix it against seasoned campaigners for the first time. Part-owner Bill Mumford was offering no excuses after the race.

"He was held up at the 500m when Palmyra Boy cut him off," Mumford said. "I'm not saying that the rider (Jan Cameron) of Palmyra Boy did anything illegal, it's just that both horses made their move simultaneously and The Ruffian suffered as a result. Palmyra Boy just took The Ruffian's run, but that's racing. Kerrin said that he may have finished a lot closer, perhaps second or third, but in the end Hawks Bay was too good.

"He (The Ruffian) will be a lot bigger and stronger in 2012 and will only get better, so see you next year."