Racing: Easter victory well worth the wasting

By MIKE DILLON

Grant Cooksley slipped quietly away from a couple of the press after winning the $150,000 Easter Handicap at Ellerslie on Sedecrem.

"I have to have a drink," he said as he dashed into the jockeys' room.

He wasn't talking about a celebratory tipple.

He needed something to counteract his seriously dehydrated and calorie-deprived body.

Cooksley admitted later that he had just been through the toughest five days of wasting of his long career to guarantee he could make Sedecrem's weight of 54.5kg.

"I was walking 57kg stripped on Monday," he said in that quiet, understated way that defines his approach to all walks of life.

As he sat outside his locker he gulped a Red Bull and was desperate for the caffeine to kick in.

The 57kg on Monday had been only his body - he had had to make room for the weight of the saddle and gear as well.

"It's a long time since I've had to do anything like that.

"When I was riding 49kg to 50kg I would sometimes have to lose 3kg over a week or so, but I was doing that regularly and my body was used to it - this was different."

Cooskley has been in New Zealand on holiday from riding in Singapore for a month - he returned yesterday - and had no intention of riding here.

But a casual visit a couple of weeks ago to the Colin Jillings and Richard Yuill stable at Takanini ended with the promise to ride Sedecrem in the Easter Handicap on Saturday.

Cooksley played golf on Good Friday and admitted his strength was sapped by the severe wasting.

"But you don't notice it during a race."

Which is just as well - Cooksley had to be at his vigorous best to get Sedecrem up to win from what had looked like an impossible position approaching the home bend.

"But two strides after the winning post . . . you know it.

"It takes it out of you."

Moments after drinking the Red Bull, Cooksley was examined by the club doctor, who found him to be suffering from dehydration and stood him down from riding, although Cooksley did not have another mount.

The stunning victory finally gave Jillings, after more than half a century of training, a clean sweep of the major events at Ellerslie.

With the exception of the Sires Produce Stakes, Cooksley has a similar record, including a Great Northern Steeplechase.

Sedecrem now heads to the A$1 million Stradbroke Handicap in Queensland in June at the insistence of his part-owner, top Mercedes executive Ernie Ward, who in his gracious acceptance speech said he was delighted to take the stakemoney from the sponsors Jaguar.

Ward races Sedecrem with Peter Walker, Colin Giltrap and Winston McDonald.

The Stradbroke is 1400m, 200m shorter than Saturday's race, but is always run at blinding speed and races more like a 1600m event than 1400m.

It will suit Sedecrem magnificently.

He hits the line strongly and is therefore best suited when there is a lot of speed on.

It is well documented how his stable has had huge problems with his feet throughout his career. The front feet are better now than ever before, but Sedecrem escaped the possibility of real damage when he lost a racing plate from his near-side front foot just after the start.

The plate was found by track staff.

Millennium looked certain to win when he dashed clear early in the home straight.

Cooksley said he had momentarily not been too worried.

"The pace had been fierce and I felt the leaders had to come back to us but that horse Peter Johnson was on [Millennium], he didn't come back.

"But when I got Sedecrem to change legs he really sprinted. On television it looked closer than it was - I knew with six or seven strides to go we would win. He's a terrific horse."

Jetski, placed in last year's Easter, finished powerfully to just nudge Millennium out of second.

"He might go to Brisbane," said co-trainer Donna Logan.