29 November 2017
By PAUL MICALLEF
ANTHONY Frisby thinks so much of Aphorism he is forgoing the choice of two of his father's stable representatives in the same race to handle the pacer at Bathurst tonight.
The 25 year-old will pilot the very talented three-year-old for trainer Ben Settree in a $10,200 heat of the Kevin And Kay Seymour Evolution Series with the $20,000 final at Menangle on December 9.
Two of his main opponents, Captain Cosmonaut and Aunty Bessy are trained at Perthville by his father Chris, for whom Anthony is the stable driver.
Together they work a quality team of eight in the morning before they race off into town to attend the family business, Bedwells Feed Barn.
“Dad wasn’t too fussed about the driving issue,” Anthony said. “He always said try and drive the better one when you get that opportunity. Anyway he has Steve and Mitch Turnbull to drive his horses so he’s not complaining.”
A son of Well Said, the aptly-named Aphorism is starting to put it all together after doing a few things wrong and his win at Bathurst last week was his first in six starts.
“He will prove the hardest to beat tonight and he should be cherry-ripe by the time the final comes around,” Frisby said.
“His run last week was really good. I know he went slow in the first half of the race but his work coming home was impressive,” he said.
Aphorism put the writing on the wall for that win with a slashing second to tonight’s rival Mackeral at Bathurst 10 days earlier.
With Mackeral dictating in front and reeling his last 800m in 55.9 Aphorism came from the rear to be beaten only eight metres.
His last last two quarters (800m/400) were the fastest of the night which winners included fast class pacer Beetson, rising star Whittaker and last Saturday’s night Menangle Country Series final winner Real Obsession.
“We’re just trying to get him settled and relaxed and he’s now starting to put all four feet on the ground,” Frisby explained with the pacer’s improved manners.
Anthony was only 12 years old when his father was travelling the Grand Circuit with top class pacer Dinki Di and he turned out to be the first horse Anthony learnt to drive on.
“He was an easy old horse to handle,” Frisby remembers.
Dinki Di was a tough competitor who in 2005 ran second to Slipnslide in the G1 Max Treuer Memorial before his neck second to Be Good Johnny in the G1 Victoria Cup at Moonee Valley.