Story By Ray Hickson – Racing NSW (Thursday 10-7-25)
The temptation to rush It’s A Knockout straight back into stakes grade was a real one on the back of her dominant first-up win.
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It's A Knock puts daylight (4.14 lengths) between her and the runner-up last start
Once the dust settled, as attractive as a month between runs is for a mare of her style, the Dynamic / Ciaron Maher team elected to take a smaller step in the TAB Handicap (1400m) and see if she can repeat the exhibition, she put on three weeks ago.
Johann Gerard-Dubord
Assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said waiting for the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill next week was seriously considered but not necessary at this stage.
“She was likely going to be out of the handicap in the Winter Challenge,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.
“We didn’t feel that would be the right call. The extra week was tempting but where she’s at in terms of ratings, it would have been the wrong thing to do.
“If she’s going to be up to that, we have plenty of time to get there.”
Her win first-up upstaged the Listed performers in the Civic Stakes on that June 21 program, where she ran two lengths faster overall time for the 1400m.
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It’s A Knockout, $2.60 with TAB on Thursday, is yet to win second-up but last time in she was Group 3 placed at her second run in and Gerard-Dubord said the only thing he would like different is that extra week between runs.
“She can definitely hold her form, it’s whether three weeks is long enough for a horse like her,’’ he said.
“She’s very good fresh, she’s been bobbing along since her run and keeping her fresh for staying at the same trip.
“She had a nice gallop just on the bridle in between runs and she hasn’t taken a step back. Looking at her we couldn’t be any happier, there are no other negatives there.”
For the step up to Benchmark 88, It’s A Knockout will carry 1kg less after Braith Nock’s claim than she did first-up.
Given the stable’s desire to space the four-year-old’s runs, it’s likely another win will see her not reappear until some time in August and the vibe is that the best is yet to come from her.
“She’s been stepping up every prep, her first two runs last prep were very good, and she’s a Dundeel so she is bred to get better with time too,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.
“The spring comes up fairly quickly, so we have time to give her a nice gap between runs and there are plenty of options after that.
“For now she still has that (lower) rating and it looks an ideal race. The right grade, the right trip, hopefully she gets the job done again, and goes on to better things.”
Gerard-Dubord would like to think the Maher camp has a strong hand in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1800m) with Piggyback and Federer set to oppose each other again.
Piggyback has won over 2000m at Randwick previously
The duo ran third and fourth respectively at Rosehill two weeks ago and while it was a curious choice in Piggyback’s case to run from the wider gate compared to the other 1800m event, it’s seen as a plus for her.
She’s been a victim of slowly run races and twice barrier one in her past two third placings last month.
“Because of that, the wide gate is not the worst thing, it gives you the chance to get going when you want to,’ Gerard-Dubord said.
“She doesn’t have much of a turn of foot and would probably be better with a bit of room like we saw first-up at Warwick Farm.
“We’ll be more positive out of the gates, how forward she’ll be I don’t know but she’ll be able to get going whenever she wants.”