Co-trainer Matt Hoysted admitted to midrace concerns as Queensland galloper Scallopini was eyeballed by Milton Park in the middle stages of the Listed Elms Handicap (1400m).

But that early pressure mattered little for Scallopini who showed a turn of foot passing the 300m mark and then hold off the chasing pack.

“I was worried when that horse was wanting to put a fair bit of pressure on him the whole race, so it was not as though he was able to get that soft-of-a-time of it really and get a few cheap sectionals.

“He was made to keep on the job the whole way, so I think there is more credit to the win.

“When he can get into a nice rhythm and keep rolling like that and go through his gears, he’s effective.”

Saturday’s win was Scallopini’s second over the 1400m trip at Flemington and next up it will be on to the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap on March 11.

“He has a love affair with Flemington, and it is a race we earmarked. Hopefully we can have a bit of luck there,” Hoysted said.

Quote of the day

“We were hoping that Yendall wouldn’t do that. Naughty boy there pushing her”. Co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr after the Dean Yendall-ridden Wrote To Arataki applied early pressure to the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Annavisto in the Tony Bourke Memorial.