'I'm sure he's looking down': Ciaron Maher and Jamie Kah pay ...
‘I’m sure he’s looking down’: Ciaron Maher and Jamie Kah pay tribute to late friend in emotional win
On a roller coaster day at Flemington, Jamie Kah – complete with a broken nose from an incident in the minutes before an earlier race – saluted in the day’s feature event to take out the Victoria Derby.
The native South Australian won aboard South Australian horse Goldrush Guru. The three-year-old is by Rebel Raider, who won the 2008 Derby, ridden by another female jockey Claire Lindop.
Kah’s parents, who represented Australia as speed skaters in the Winter Olympics, are on-track to make it an extra special win for Kah.
Jamie Kah is hugged by trainer Ciaron Maher.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s a great result for South Australian racing,” Kah’s father John said.
Earlier, Kah and champion trainer Ciaron Maher could not contain their emotions after a horse owned by the late Colin McKenna won in stirring fashion at Flemington.
Racing folk are a hardened lot but there were tears being shed openly after Another Wil’s thrilling victory in the Damien Oliver.
Though the group 2 race over 1400 metres is only a support race on the Derby Day card, the win had tremendous sentimental meaning for Maher and Kah, who were both close to McKenna.
McKenna, a prominent racehorse owner who made his wealth with his meat processing business in Warrnambool, died last Sunday after a short battle with brain cancer. His wife Janice watched on from their property in Woolsthorpe, near Warrnambool.
Both Maher and Kah could not contain their emotions as they paid tribute to McKenna, whom they described as a mate and mentor.
Leviathan owner Ozzie Kheir, who had a share in the runner-up Jimmysstar, a stablemate of the winner, embraced Maher in a warm act of sportsmanship and friendship.
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“[It’s] pretty special just to have a lot of Col’s family and friends in the horse – that’s the way he loves racing,” Maher said. “He bred it, [there’s] no more passionate person, [he was a] great mate, great mentor, [and] he would have just loved to have been here today, but I’m sure he’s looking down.”
Maher said McKenna and his wife were both great supporters of Kah, who has endured a tumultuous run on and off the track in recent years.
“Both Col and Janice, they spoke to Jamie every day on a number of occasions for different reasons when she was needing a shoulder to lean on,” Maher said.
“You just would not know how many people Col touched. Jamie’s a great example. He’s sadly missed. I’m sure next Friday there’ll be ea lot of people celebrating his life.”
An emotional Kah fought back tears after being hugged by Maher upon her return back from the mounting yard.
“He was the best person, ask anyone in the industry,” Kah said. “[It] just means the world. It doesn’t feel real that he’s not here.”
Kah said there was intervention from above after some nervous moments in the straight when she sweated on a rails run.
For a few strides, it appeared the gap would not come for the fairytale finish but an opening presented after The Astrologist weakened, allowing Another Wil to show his turn of hoof and prevail by a 1¼ lengths over Jimmysstar, while Steparty was a further two lengths adrift in third.
“I trust this horse, he’s done it before, he’s pushed his way through gaps,” Kah said. “I wasn’t worried because I knew the horse I had underneath me. We spoke briefly before and Ciaron just said ‘give him cover, get him behind a horse and he’ll do the rest’.
“He can’t be leading in these class of races and winning any more. He’s got to get cover – after that it was up to him and Col opened up some gaps for us.
“The gaps weren’t there, then they were there. Hopefully he [McKenna] can do that for the rest of the day for me – that’d be nice.”
But racing is a great leveller. Kah was whacked in the nose in the next race when her mount Hurry Curry reared its head back entering the gates and was a late scratching. She was assessed by stewards and cleared to return for the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Kah is now facing time on the sidelines for dangerous riding, but will still be clear to ride in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.
Stewards were set to call Kah in after race eight on the card to hand down a penalty, but she’d receive three days grace before starting any suspension. The charge related to an incident in race two when Kah’s horse Kuroyanagi interfered with I Am Velvet. She rides Okita Sushi in the Melbourne Cup.
With Danny Russell
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