Tempest Tost Following her First Ever Win

It was the first Group One that both horse and trainer had ever contested and with the three highest rated fillies and mares in Australia competing, the retired Samantha Miss being the fourth, many pundits expected a baptism of fire.

Both jockey Darren Gauci and trainer Gary White were beaming with confidence early in the week leading up to the race following an impressive gallop and safe flight to the Gold Coast but White admits the barrier draw soon wiped the smile off his face.

"Barriers are one of those things you can't control in racing so you try not to dwell on them too much, saying that, I think my heart skipped a beat when I was told we had drawn barrier twenty", White said.

Things went from bad to worse when showers, which had been forecast all week, amounted to nothing.

"The rain fell down the road at the Gold Coast which raced on the same day as a heavy track and realistically it was our last hope of having the barrier position work in our favour", said White referring to the likelihood of the horses racing well off the rail on a heavy track.

All of the above didn't stop White from believing his gutsy filly could cause a boilover with a little luck.

"We had her spot on", said White, referring to his team, in every interview leading up to the race.

"My foreman David Moore, the filly's trackwork riders Russell Revel and Wayne Davis and my Victorian overseer Tony Harrison had done a remarkable job in helping me have Tempest Tost at her peak on Saturday". 

White is adamant that having his horse's peak on the big day is far more important than any of the factors out of his control.

"If she drew barrier one and got a dead track it would've amounted to nothing if she was over the top".

Watching from the mounting yard White joked with the crowd prior to the race, one punter even expressed his dismay at the barrier draw in his best 'French', just a minute later the horses had thundered past.

The race went to plan, but not to script.

In a state of shock and excitement White had to wait what seemed an eternity for the fourth horse's number to be semaphored.

"She kicked and kicked and it was only in the last 50m that the work she did early to cross the field caught up with her and they swamped her".

"I thought she had finished fourth, but when they put the number up - we all celebrated - she deserved fourth", said White.

Returning to scale Gauci appeared sullen and gutted.

As he dismounted he praised the horse to White and pondered what could've been, and strode off to weigh in.

"He didn't let anyone down today", White reiterated.

"Nobody let anyone down today - you can't win them all", said White philosophically.

Like a proud father White proceeded to wash his most famous horse down and walk her amongst the shade for the next few hours, taking congratulatory calls from all of his close friends and supporters.

"It is great to know that she makes so many people happy and proud despite whether she wins or loses".

Despite looking spring bound White is unsure as to her exact mission.

"I'm so happy that we have been able to manage her in such a way this preparation that at no stage has she been bothered by her leg".

"We can sit down and have a look at the rest of the year, give her a break in this beautiful queensland weather and give ourselves the best chance of bringing her back in even better shape".