Drunken Sailor winning for Damien Oliver at Flemington

  PICTURE: Getty Images  

Report: Australia, Saturday

Flemington: Roy Higgins Quality (Listed) 1m5f, turf, 3yo+

THE former Luca Cumani-trained Drunken Sailor (Mike Moroney/Damien Oliver) put himself in line for a crack at the Adelaide Cup with this Listed victory in Melbourne.

The seven-year-old’s jockey Damien Oliver bounced back from a horror fall the night before at Moonee Valley when Like An Eagle snapped both forelegs as he was working his way to the front in a sprint.

The Valley crowd feared the worst for the 39-year-old who seven years ago fractured several vertebrae which required titanium rods and screws to be inserted into his back in another fall at the track. “I was lucky last night,” Oliver said.

“I was on my way to the front and hadn’t quite got there but if it had been another 50 metres the whole field would have gone over the top of me. I had no warning at all. I did roll a lot and that probably helped me.”

Oliver said he was discharged from hospital after three hours and that after exercising on Saturday morning couldn’t see a reason why he shouldn’t be riding at Flemington.

Drunken Sailor, who is now trained by Mike Moroney, appeared to be struggling at the 800 metres but worked into the race under his big weight of 60kg when Oliver made his move nearing the home turn.

Moroney took blinkers off Drunken Sailor to get him to settle better in the 1m5f event on Saturday and is likely to keep them off for his next start in the Adelaide Cup over 2m on March 12.

“When Ollie went for him he did quicken up nicely and it is hard to do that with that sort of weight,” Moroney said.

Drunken Sailor scored by a half-neck from Our Serena, who led most of the way.

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