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Glen Boss added another Victorian country cup to his collection with victory aboard Index Linked in the $100,000 Jack Hirsch Memorial Yarra Valley Cup.
The three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey turned in a fine ride to get the Chris Waller-trained gelding home to a narrow-but-impressive win over fellow import Wish Come True.
The victory was a welcome return to the feature winner’s stall for Boss, who was happy to continue his affinity with Victorian regional majors.
“This is my first one (Yarra Valley Cup), I’ve only ridden here a couple of times, but I think I’ve won nearly every country cup in Victoria since I’ve been here,” he said.
“From Hamilton to Cranbourne to Geelong and Pakenham, I’ve won a lot of them which is really good because this is what’s it’s all about – winning good races for good people in the country.”
Boss produced a shrewd ride to get Index Linked, who defeated subsequent Australian Cup runner-up Extra Zero at Caulfield at his previous start, home for the ninth win of his 27-start career.
He settled the seven-year-old midfield, peeled three-wide around 700 metres from home and allowed him to build into the race.
They had a battle to wear down Wish Come True under 60kg, but the son of Dansili – the $2.40 favourite – reeled in Wish Come True ($5) late to score by a neck. Tooleybuc Kid ($3.80) was a further 1-1/4 lengths back third.
Justine Hales, foreperson at Waller’s Flemington stable, said the Yarra Valley Cup was Index Linked’s final hit-out before the Mornington Cup – which they won last year with Instrumentalist – and the camp is thrilled he will go into that $350,000 Listed event a winner.
“We just needed to give him another run before the Mornington Cup, otherwise it would have been four weeks between runs, so it’s worked out really well.”
Source: racing.com