ALL THE ACTION FROM DOOMBEN

A review of the meeting at Doomben yesterday.

RACE 1:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Bryan Guy trained Jad picked up his fourth win from 18 starts and pushed his trainer to joint top position in the trainer’s ladder.

It was a workmanlike performance by Jad who continues to do some of his best work over the 1100m trip.

Jad tracked the fronrunning Youcantseem until the home turn. He applied pressure at the top of the straight and quickly gained the ascendency which he held comfortably to the line.

Jockey Paul Hammersley who has recently returned from an overseas holiday, gave a timely reminder of his ability to trainers as he searches to cement a regular place in the city riding ranks.

“My aim is to ride permanently in town,” stated Hammersley, “and I am working very hard towards achieving that. So I hope the rewards come.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sneaky Squirrell ... raced wide throughout.


RACE 2:

WINNER FEEDBACK
“Rob just said I don’t care which one of you win, as long as you run one-two.”

These were the words spoken jockey Shane Scriven after he had piloted Athenas Gift, the longer-priced of the two Rob Heathcote runners, to a narrow victory over Lodging, his stable companion.

“My horse was so green. He didn’t really know what he was doing,” offered Scriven.

“The race was really Maiden quality (there was only one winner amongst the six starters) and he had pretty good Maiden form."

Both of the Heathcote trained runners stepped up in distance and both were the better for it.

Scriven did point out that Lodging, who tracked the leader Athena Gift throughout without being able to bridge a narrow gap, would probably prefer more ground than this 1615m trip.

Heathcote almost managed to send both sets of owners home a winner. Just a touch under a quarter of a length separated his two runners from a dead-heat.


RACE 3:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
‘Bring Back The Biff’, you might say ... well that’s exactly what the Liam Birchley has done with the Kenfair gelding Bitabiff.

Bitabiff has been in the care of Birchley for eight runs and the seven-year-old has now won on three occasions and finished runner-up twice in his last five starts.

Bitabiff has always been a game and honest performer and was already a six-time winner when transferred to Birchley’s yard.

“He came to me as an experienced horse,” acknowledged Birchley. He had been well exposed to racing and he knew a few tricks and it was just a matter of getting him going again. He’s going well now.

“I probably shouldn’t have run him at Ipswich (Bitabiff’s unplaced run before his latest tidy sequence kicked in),” admitted Birchley. “The 1100m there was too short.”

But the results changed when Bitabiff stepped up to 1200m and won two races in succession over that distance.

Yesterdays task was set at 1350m and the fact that Bitabiff was able to win for the first time in 12 attempts at the distance and for the first time in seven goes over the track and distance (over which he had previously been unplaced) underlines the level of improvement Bitabiff has reached.'

Bitabiff provided Scott Seamer with the first leg of a riding double.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sommersea Drive (B. Pengelly) jumped away awkwardly.

Approaching the 800m, Sommersea Drive (B. Pengelly) had to be steadied when it improved on to the heels of Bitabiff. Grand Laddie (B. El-Issa) was tightened close to the finish line between Sams Express (R. McMahon), which shifted out, and Bitabiff (S. Seamer), which shifted in.

When questioned as to the reason for Sommersea Drive being further back in the field than anticipated, B. Pengelly stated that the horse jumped away awkwardly and despite his efforts, the gelding could not muster the necessary pace to obtain a position near the leaders.

B. Pengelly added that he felt that Sommersea Drive was not entirely suited by the pattern of today's race.

Trainer T. Miller reported that, in his opinion, the horse had come to the end of its preparation and would now be spelled.


RACE 4:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Yield Curve won at odds of 20-1 in his run prior to yesterday’s outing. The chestnut gelding was shown more respect this time and carved out another sweet success under the expert guidance of Scott Seamer to land the ninth win of his career and take his earnings past the $150,000 mark.

It depends on the opposition of course, but the chances are the son of the appropriately named High Yield will start even an even shorter price next time out.

But Kath Carroll, the Toowoomba based trainer of Yield Curve, was not about to make any bold predictions.

“He is very honest,” said Carroll. “He is improving and the extra distance helped him today, but you don’t get carried away in this game.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Leaving the 300m, Montoux (A. Spinks) was tightened for room between Yield Curve and Ready When You Are (R. McMahon), which was inclined to lay in under pressure.

Stewards questioned M. Hughes, rider of the 3rd placegetter, Art Success, as to the reason why he stopped riding momentarily approaching the finish line.

M. Hughes stated that he had mistaken the winning post, having only had limited rides on the track. He further explained that when he realised his mistake he rode Art Success out to the finish, adding that he did not believe it affected his placing in the race.

M. Hughes was cautioned and reminded of his obligations to ride his mounts right to the finish.


RACE 5:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Double Or Nothing provided trainer Brian Smith and jockey Scott Galloway with fair consolation after their late charge with Blood ‘N’ Bone had failed behind Bitabiff and Sam’s Express in the third race.

The four-year-old loves the Doomben track and this latest success was her third win from four starts at Doomben, where she has yet to finish unplaced.

This was Double Or Nothing’s first run over the 2020m trip and she clearly relished the opportunity to chase over more ground, coming home to a facile victory.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
An inquiry was held into the reason for Star Theatre (M. Heagney) being tightened near the 400m.

After hearing evidence from the riders concerned and viewing the video, a charge of careless riding against K. Wharton, rider of Latino, was not sustained and he was given the benefit of the doubt, in that when taking a tight run between Bay Lady Pay and Star Theatre his horse shifted in away from Bay Lady Pay and as a result of racing in restricted room inside the tiring Bay Lady Pay tightened Star Theatre despite his efforts.


RACE 6

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The ‘Winning Performance of the Day.’

That title belongs to My Limit. The Robert Heathcote trained gelding loafed along towards the rear of the field early before switching wider for a clear run at the head of the home straight.

The impression was that jockey Shane Scriven knew he had the best horse in the race and only had to keep him out of trouble and press the accelerator to earn a third win for the gelding ... and that is the way things turned out as My Limit simply pulverised the opposition, going past them all with a tough of contempt, to win with plenty in hand.

“He’s always been a good worker,” said Heathcote. “For some reason the penny’s dropped since his Derby preparation. He now seems to know what’s required.

“The plan was always to go back and for Shane to ride him cold as long as he could,” continued Heathcote. “If you are drawn a little wide the start can be a minefield and we didn’t want him to get involved in any early battle.

“He’s a Carnival horse for sure. He was already a good Carnival horse last time. He did finish third in the Rough Habit behind Mission Critical and Moatize.

Where to next?

“There is a Class 6 event over 2000m next Saturday. He’d get 54kg.

"He’s a tough, big, strong horse and he’d be thrown in the handicap there, so the question is whether we back up and try to pick up some money along the way, or whether we plan another route to some feature races because there is no doubt he is a horse with a future.

“The owners and I will have a chat about that. We don’t have to make any decision right now,” concluded Heathcote.

My Limit gave jockey Shane Scriven his second winner of the meeting, having earlier scored on another Heathcote trained runner, Athena’s Gift.

Scriven thus shared the day’s riding honours with Scott Seamer.


RACE 7:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Bobby El-Issa brought home his now customary winner when he guided the Alan Bailey trained Sashenka to a clear- cut victory.

This win takes El-Issa to joint top position on the Jockeys ladder.

Sashenka only returned to action two weeks ago following a layoff of almost exactly one year.

The length of Shashenka’s time out was largely due to the effects of a severe attack of colic. At one time, the mare was so sick that it was not only her career, but her life that was in jeopardy.

She’s come back strong though. She finished second behind the more-than-useful Burdekin Blues when resuming and then was able to build on that effort to produce a winning performance here.

“I think she got a lot of TLC from the stable,” suggested El-Issa, who has ridden Shasenka in both of her starts since her return.

“Alan Bailey, as usual, turned her out just spot-on today. All I had to do was steer her from the alley,” stated El-Issa.

Shasenka has now won three of her 12 starts and also has five minor placings to her credit.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mr Doyle (S. Scriven) was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon at the barriers and cleared to race.

Leaving the 1200m, Sashenka (B. El-Issa) shifted in, made heavy contact with Shakara (M. Heagney), forcing that horse inwards. B. El-Issa, rider of Sashenka, was severely reprimanded.


RACE 8:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Danny Bowen was confident enough to make the trip up from Ballina with the big-hearted gelding Instructed and the ever-game son of Commands landed the gamble with a spirited front-running display under the steadying burden of 59kg.

Such was the strong tempo that Instructed set during the early gallop, it appeared unlikely that he would be able to maintain his effort all the way to the line under top weight, but the seven-year-old never faltered in the home straight and did enough to see off the belated challenge of the faster finishing Lennon.

Bowen confirmed that Instructed’s tearaway tactics (even with the big weight) was just what the horse wanted.

“Ever since he came to be - and I’m grateful that he was sent to me – he’s been carrying those sorts of weights around Ballina and Murwillumbah,” said Bowen.

“You know the 62kg’s ... or 60kg’s. He is used to carrying that kind of weight ... and he just loves to run freely so there is no point in trying to hold him back.

"If you let him run his own race, you know he will give you everything. Other runners have got to beat him. He’s not going to give anything away easily.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Notre Amore, which reared up in the barriers, injuring its near-side foreleg, was withdrawn by the stewards at 5.01 pm acting on veterinary advice ... Trainer R. Heathcote was advised that NOTRE AMORE must pass 2 barrier tests prior to its next race start.

Stewards questioned R. McMahon in relation to his riding tactics on Morning Cloours, particularly in the early stages of the straight.

R. McMahon explained that he was instructed the ride the horse quiet from its wide barrier and attempt to save ground and obtain a run between runners in the straight rather than be placed wide.

He added that when he attempted to follow Kanpeki (E. Wilkinson) to gain a clear run, a run did not eventuate and he then elected to pull his mount to the outside to obtain clear running and the horse ran home reasonably.

The explanation was noted.