Aaron Bullock reckons when a "horse kicks like that" it's rare you get overtaken, but after one of his career-best results finishing runner-up in The Hunter (1300 metres) he now wants to return and claim the $1million feature down the track.
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The Singleton-raised, Newcastle-based jockey led most of the race and down the straight on board Kris Lees-trained Special Reward before eventual winner Sweet Deal took over in Saturday's closing stages.
Bullock went within 1.04 lengths of victory at the stand-alone meeting while James Cummings' Asiago was third.
"When a horse gives a kick like that other horses don't usually come past you, it's pretty simple," Bullock told the Newcastle Herald.
"Obviously at the top level they don't give races away so full credit to the winner, but it was good to run second."
It was Bullock's first crack at The Hunter, which was introduced 12 months ago, and provided a step up in class for the 30-year-old.
"It [The Hunter] is unreal. If it was in Sydney I probably don't get this opportunity, but being my home track and with one of Kris Lees' horses I got on Special Reward and I couldn't be more grateful," he said.
And having come within reach of the main prize, Bullock is now even keener to win The Hunter "one day".
"One hundred percent. I love riding winners and you wouldn't get anyone more competitive than me. Being my home track and living here, if it's run every year for the rest of my career hopefully I can win one one day," he said.
Bullock, who already has 36 winners to his name so far this season, praised the performance of his five-year-old gelding.
"I ride him in all his work and wanted to ride like he is there, just let him roll. He took up the running, went up the straight, give a good kick and just got beat by a better horse on the day," he said.
The hoop described Special Reward's run as "terrific" and thanked connections, including part-owners Australian Bloodstock, for getting him to the start line.
"They were nearly going to tip him out after his last run but they freshened him up, kept him in work and he wouldn't have picked up $190,000 if he was sitting in the paddock," Bullock said.
"Full credit to the team for getting him back. I know he hasn't won, but he still ran a super race."
Lees said Special Reward "controlled the race", had "every chance" and Bullock delivered a "really good ride".
"I never really thought we had it in the bag because I could just see that horse tagging him all the way, but he was brave all the way," the Newcastle trainer said.
"His last couple of runs were a bit out of character, but he bounced back to his best today."
Lees' next best in The Hunter was fourth with Tactical Advantage after being runner-up in the same event last year. Evalina finished strong to be fifth. Chief Ironisde and El Dorado Dreaming were further back in 13th and 14th respectively.
None of his five runners have plans locked in with nominations in Western Australia later this month unlikely to be accepted.
"I wouldn't think so, logistically it's became quite difficult in the current circumstances. We'll just let the dust settle. Some of them have had pretty long preparations so we'll just see," Lees said.
Elsewhere on the Newcastle card favourite Sliders scored the opening Max Lees Classic (900m) for Cummings with Rachel King on board while Central Coast trainers Kim Waugh and Angela Davies rounded out the day courtesy of wins to Great News and Through The Cracks respectively.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
