Pollard hits new high as Midnight In Tokyo strikes at Randwick

Almost five months to the day since he saddled up his first runner as a trainer in his own right, Todd Pollard has celebrated his maiden Group success with Midnight In Tokyo taking out the Show County Quality at Randwick.

Cutting his teeth with Annabel and Rob Archibald in Sydney before relocating to Queensland to oversee their satellite operation, Pollard branched out on his own earlier this year.

He made an immediate impact, claiming a brace of Listed wins over the Brisbane winter carnival with Midnight In Tokyo and Zuleika, and had a Randwick winner in July with All Kinds Of Folk.

But Midnight In Tokyo’s success in Saturday’s Group 3 sprint was another level again.

“It’s absolute euphoria when it’s like this,” Pollard said.

“It has its days for sure, but we’re lucky we’ve got a mare like her to be running well for us and to come to Randwick is just so special.”

A seven-year-old, Midnight In Tokyo has staved off immediate retirement with her win and may have also earned herself another season of racing.

Given her residual fitness and handy form over the winter, Pollard said he was confident she would perform well and knew she would be hard to run down if she got her own way in front.

“There was nothing I could knock about her today, and when she found the front I thought, if he could keep her going (she was a chance),” he said.

“They were coming late, that’s for sure. She only just sees out the 1200, but if she can get in a good rhythm, squeeze her up and kick away and put a bit of a margin on them, I thought the favoured horses might be a bit too far back to catch her. It worked perfect.”

Midnight In Tokyo will travel back to Queensland and is likely to have her next start in the Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on September 12.

Queensland jockey Ben Thompson was equally thrilled to come away with the win and credited Pollard’s management and placement of the mare.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s hit a lot of bullseyes in a short amount of time and he nailed it with her,” Thompson saiod.

“He knows her really well through taking care of her for Annabel and Rob Archibald prior to going on his own.

“She’s just a happy mare. She’s just turned seven, she’s not showing any signs of it.”

Midnight In Tokyo gave the Queenslanders successive wins in stakes races with the Tony Gollan-trained Pembrey taking out the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) for the three-year-old fillies.