WHILE the weather played havoc with the running of the summer Scott Group of Companies Mount Gambier Gold Cup, in the end the result could not have been scripted any better.
With the meeting moved from Friday to Monday due to the wet track, Survived took it all in his stride and claimed an unprecedented third straight cup, with no other horse having won three, let alone in a row.
It was also his third jockey in as many years, with Declan Bates riding the perfect race to claim a comfortable win.
For trainer Archie Alexander it was a sweet result, after missing the last cup win due to other commitments in Adelaide.
He was in Mount Gambier for the first win and Monday’s run.
“It is a race we are starting to really enjoy,” he said.
“For him to do that three years in a row shows how tough the horse is and what a liking he has for Mount Gambier.
“Someone was saying no horse has won three Mount Gambier cups, so it is amazing.
“We will not have many as tough as him that’s for sure.”
While it was suggested Survived was up against a tougher field this time around, Alexander said it was hard to know which win was the toughest.
“The funny thing is, he has always carried a high weight in all of them, but it must be the layout of the track,” he said.
“He has never run anywhere else three times and won.”
Survived preparation was not really ideal, with a disappointing third place at Naracoorte the week before the cup.
But Alexander said conditions at Glenburnie were ideal.
“I thought they were just perfect, but the winning trainer always says that,” he said.
“I think the main thing is it is safe for horses and it is not biased to anyone.
“I think every horse pulled up well and will live to fight another day.”
Alexander suggested several factors played a role in the Naracoorte result and the subsequent gold cup victory.
“It was a weaker race and he was well beaten, then you have a tougher race and he wins by five lengths,” he said.
“One thing is the run brought him on a lot and secondly it was very heavy that day.
“He did not handle the track at all.
“There was also a different jockey.
“He is a very hard horse to ride and Holly McKechnie did not know him.
“Declan knows him and I think that was the difference really.”
With Bates being the third jockey to win the cup on Survived, Alexander made a tongue in cheek statement at the presentation, suggesting a new jockey would be required for the next cup.
But that scenario had unfolded more due to necessity than any other factor.
“The first year everything was fine and Josh Cartwright rode the horse,” he said.
“He got into a bit of bother and does not ride any more.
“The second year we picked a jockey that knew the horse and that was Dean Holland.
“He had a knee operation and he is out at the moment, so then we had to pick a new jockey a few months ago.
“Declan Bates has got on really well with the horse and does a lot of work for me.”
That suggestion a new jockey will be required for the next cup goes with the assumption Survived will be back, which Alexander said could well be the case.
“We hope he will be back, but he’s eight now, so he will be nine-and-a-bit if he comes back,” he said.
“Whether he is still going and is in good order … he is not a young horse so we will see.”
At the end of the day Alexander said he could not be any more pleased with the way the day unfolded.
“From a selfish point of view, it probably helped the track having a rest and racing on the Monday,” he said.
“It was a better surface for us which all panned out well in the end.”
