Jockey Jamie Mott decided against extending his family break, prioritising the opportunity to ride debut winner American Eagle at Sandown.
Mott had ridden at Caulfield the previous Saturday before travelling to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast with his family for a period of relaxation.
However, he was back in the saddle on Wednesday at Sandown, partnering the Clayton Douglas-trained American Eagle to a win in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap over 1200 metres.
American Eagle ($3.40), despite not favouring the heavy track conditions, secured a three-quarter length victory from the $2.80 favourite Judas Tree, with Commit ($5) a further long neck behind in third.
American Eagle has been in Douglas’s care for just the past fortnight, a period following the 28-day disqualification handed to Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Having trialled in Sydney, American Eagle was then sent south, where he won a Mornington jump-out over 800 metres on July 8.
“I was really looking forward to riding this guy,” Mott expressed.
“He came down here with some nice raps on him and he gave me a really good feel on what was a really testing track at the Mornington jump-outs.
“Today the track conditions were a little bit better than what they were there and I was confident, even though he’s a horse that will be better on top of the ground, but I was confident he would get through it today.
“I think he’s got a lot of class and a bright future.”
Even though Douglas is still getting to know American Eagle, he is impressed by what he has seen from the colt in the short time he has been in his care.
“He’s got a great temperament and that’s going to take him a long way,” Douglas commented.
“He’s a big strong horse that is going to keep on developing and I think there will be some nice races for him in the future.
“We think that he will get out over further so we wanted to make sure that he raced in a good manner today and we felt the Sandown track would suit him, a big spacious track, where we could let him balance up.
“He hit the line nicely and I think he will improve off the run as I think he’s a bit away fitness wise.”
With only two weeks remaining before the Freedman father-and-son training team can return, Douglas jokingly suggested he might need to run the colt four or five times to secure a few wins.
“I think the best thing with this horse is that I might ease off him a touch to get him ready for some better races in the spring,” he concluded.
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