Sincero is the 2011 Stradbroke Handicap winner
Sincero silenced the many critics who believed he couldn’t match it at elite level, and gave champion jockey Glen Boss something to mull over after he turned down the Stradbroke ride on the eventual winner in favour of staying in Singapore.
Kicking off his career in blistering style, Sincero was the ante-post Stradbroke Handicap favourite after winning six successive races from November to May.
When travelling to Brisbane for the first time, however, the Umatilla gelding was the flop of the day last weekend finishing a distant 11th to Varenna Miss in the Group 2 QTC Cup (1300m).
His failure saw Sincero drift well out in the Stradbroke odds as the top three placegetters in the Doomben 10,000 dominated the market including Peter Snowden’s winner Beaded.
Wyong horseman Farley, however, never lost faith in his stable ace and knew Sincero would bounce back in Queensland’s richest and most esteemed race, the Stradbroke.
“I never doubted him, I know how good he is and it will keep everyone quite now,” an enthused Farley declared after Sincero’s Stradbroke Handicap win.
Soon after jumping from one of the inside barriers, jockey Jason Taylor took Sincero close up to the front.
Tony Gollan’s Toowoomba galloper Listen Son took control of the race upon settling, leading early on from the Robert Heathcote-trained Buffering while Kelso Wood’s smart mare Zero Rock, who was brilliant away from her wide alley, settled into third.
Top fancies including multiple Group 1 runner-up Love Conquers All and veteran galloper Black Piranha, who was shooting for a third straight Stradbroke win, were never in the race after getting forced back early.
Listen Son maintained the lead onto the straight, jockey Kerrin McEvoy brining Beaded up quickly.
Meanwhile, Taylor gave Sincero the perfect ride letting him fall in behind Beaded poised and ready to strike, the pair making the Stradbroke into a frantic two horse race with Beaded, the Doomben 10,000 winner not without her chance.
Sincero, however, showed their great stride and strength crossing the line first to become this year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner.
Following behind Beaded, who had to come wide without cover making the 1400m just beyond her, was Zero Rock in third while Buffering finished an eye-catching fourth.
Sincero has now won nine of his 13 career starts amassing over $1 million in prize money.
“He’s done really well this week and this is just a dream for us,” Farley’s wife said after the Stradbroke win.
Farley himself mirrored the same happiness.
“It’s just the greatest thrill,” he said.
“He’s bounced back, he’s a very good horse this horse.
“We put the blinkers on, got him travelling right and this was our grand final and we got it.”
The Stradbroke was the first time Jason Taylor had partnered with Sincero for a race, but it wasn’t apparent as the hoop showed an uncanny connection with his mount.
“An absolute buzz,” Taylor said of the win.
“I know how the horse is and I know how he’s got a big stride.
“I’ve seen his races and I’ve seen how he lets down.
“It was a bit awkward on the inside gate, but I tried to maintain the one off position which we did.
“I got on the back of Beaded and that’s when I thought ‘we’ve got them now’.
“The horse let down fantastic.
“I was always confident he would let down.”
