ALL THE ACTION FROM EAGLE FARM

A review of the meeting held at Eagle Farm on Saturday, September 13.


Race 1:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
“EI must have helped,” joked trainer Liam Birchley. “Something’s changed.”

Birchley was referring to the revitalised, consistent run of performances by Junk InThe Trunk who has now won twice and finished in the money on three other occasions in five starts since returning from a nine-and-a-half month layoff.

“She could have won even more but she has had no luck to talk about,” continued Birchley.

“She’s had bad alleys (she was drawn 12, 13 and 10 in her three placed starts). She has just had to keep going back or going around them, so she’s being doing a good job.”

The ability Junk In TheTrunk has been showing has been matched by her fighting spirit.

This race was no gimme.

Michelle Cafea, who was on a quick back-up after winning at Ipswich on Thursday, the courageous top weight Instructed and Junk In The Trunk were locked in battle in the final chase to the line when the latter produced that vital bit extra under the strong urgings of jockey Scott Seamer to win by the narrowest of margins.

Junk In The Trunk was the first of four winners on the day for Seamer.

STEWARDS REPORT FEEDBACK
Junk In The Trunk (S. Seamer) was examined behind the barriers by the Club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to race as a result of bumping its off hind stifle on leaving the enclosure. Snippet Street (B. El-Issa) jumped away awkwardly, shifted out and brushed Instructed (D. Coleman). Le Sillage (J. Holder) jumped awkwardly and missed the start. Near the 200m Michelle Cafea (M. Hellyer) shifted out and brushed Instructed.


Race 2:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Maryann Thexton trained Chilled booked a trip to Sydney when claiming his third win from only seven starts.

Thexton has been slowly stepping up the son of Redoute’s Choice in race distance and the 1500m was well to his liking.

“He is just getting better and better,” said Thexton. “It wasn’t only the distance he had to cope with – it was the weight. He had 58kg today and he keeps stepping up.

“The way he travelled. The way he hit the line. It all shows just how much he has matured mentally.

While Chilled is starting to do things on cue in a race, he is still to use Thexton’s words, ‘a bit quirky’ at home.

“He has his own little ways of doing things,” confided Thexton.

“I can’t let anybody work with him. If you’re inexperienced, he’ll chase you out of the box ... yet he’s an absolute lamb to those who know him.”
Thexton confirmed that Chilled next assignment would be the Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick on September 27.

“That’s over 1400m so he’ll be dropping back in distance,” said Thexton.

“That will be a test. If he runs a big race there we would go on to Melbourne. I’ll be looking at the Caulfield Guineas.

“That’s why Scotty (Seamer) was on him today,” explained Thexton. “He’s a Group 1 winning jockey and, if Chilled shows he is a serious racehorse, we want someone like Scotty on board.

“He’ll be offered the ride in Sydney. If he turns it down, I’ll use a Sydney jockey,” said Thexton.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Papal Joy (P. Hammersley) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out causing Cayman Islands (E. Wilkinson), which also jumped awkwardly, to be checked. When being checked Cayman Islands clipped the heels of Papal Joy and blundered. Cayman Islands and Mymysherona were inclined to race ungenerously in the early stages. Four Dreamers was caught three wide after the start and raced three wide for the entire event. Leaving the 500m Seesawing (J. Taylor) shifted out to improve and made contact with Timecall. Mymysherona was inclined to lay in under pressure in the straight.


Race 3:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Deacon continued to build his reputation with another come from behind victory.

This time the son of Zabeel didn’t demolish his rivals as he had done in his previous start, only gaining the ascendency in the last couple of strides, but jockey Brad Pengelly had little doubt the win was every bit as impressive as his success at Doomben.

“He is just looking for more ground that’s all,” said Pengelly. “He might have taken longer to reel them in this time, but that is because he wants a longer trip than this.

“He is a pleasure to ride. He responds when you ask something of him and he’s got lots of ability.”

Trainer David Murphy was weighing up his options after the race.

“Gee, he did take a long time to get them, but then I guess he was a long way back,” said Murphy.

“There is a race – the George Main stakes – down south," said Murphy mulling over the idea.

“But my preference right now would be to spell him, to give him some more time and then perhaps target him for the Winter Carnival. I have to give it some thought.”

Deacon’s potential is underlined by the fact that he has now won five out of ten starts. He has been placed on four other occasions.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Grieg (M. Bennett) and Deacon (B. Pengelly) were slow into stride. Golders Road (Matthew Palmer) raced wide throughout. Punch Up (J. Taylor) and Little Stranger (J. Byrne) brushed near the finish line.


Race 4:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Rob Heathcote believes that My Limit was a ‘certainty beaten’ in his last start and that the gelding set the record straight with his facile 2,30 length win here.

“Wasn’t that a lovely, cool ride of Holder’s,” enthused Heathcote.

“He saw he could save a bit of ground on the turn and still be well positioned. I’ll criticise things sometimes, but I also give credit when it’s due. That was a great ride.”

Heathcote also praised My Limit’s combination of talents, commenting on the gelding’s ability to relax and the power of his acceleration.

“He goes to sleep and he has a nice turn of foot. How good a combination is that?” asked Heathcote. “I’m starting to think he’ll get a mile-and-a-half now.

“He’s improving so well, not just on the racetrack. I’m talking about his general demeanour around the stables. He’s definitely getting there.”

Jockey Jason Holder, who had My Limit back in last place some ten lengths off the lead in the sweep to the turn, gave his reason for taking an inside line as the field turned for home.

“Nothing was making a move to help take me through on the outside,” explained Holder.

“I was looking for Sir Coup and I decided to get on the back of him,” continued Holder. “I followed Sir Coup through and then managed to get a run on his inside.”

From there, the result of the race came down to two things – My Limit’s ability to produce race winning acceleration and whether he would be allowed the galloping room in which to operate.

Both questions were answered by the 250m. My Limit was offered a dream split between Rich Blue Dane and Becklim and he responded superbly, to the degree that, by the time he hit the front at the 200m, it was ‘race over’.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
LATINO was a late scratching at 2.35 p.m. when the horse reared in the barriers and got its near forearm over the partition. Acting on veterinary advice the horse was withdrawn. When the pace slowed in the middle stages Pressed On (C. McIver) commenced to pull and approaching the 1200m shifted out three wide and raced three wide from that point. Winmara (O. Turpin) was initially held up in the early stages of the straight and approaching the 200m was disappointed for a run inside of Rich Blue Dane where there was not fully sufficient room. My Limit (J. Holder) was held up for clear running rounding the home turn and in the early stages of the straight. Apprentice O. Turpin, the rider of Winmara, was found guilty of a charge under AR. 137A (2) (a) for using his whip forward of the horse's shoulder near the finish line and fined $200. A post-race veterinary examination of Bitofasmartie revealed that the gelding was suffering from the thumps and had a slightly elevated temperature. Following his ride on Grand Corso, jockey B. El-Issa was examined by the Club's doctor after complaining of a sore ankle and was stood down from his remaining ride on the program.


Race 5:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Philip Cox has done a great job with Secrets Untold and he received another reward for his efforts when the gelding outgunned the game Sam’s Express over the final 100m to score by 0,20 lengths.

The ever-consistent six-year-old has formed a formidable partnership with jockey Scott Seamer, and therein lies something of a dilemma for the trainer.

“The problem is that he (Secrets Untold) will go up in weight now,” explained Cox, “and therefore it would seem tempting to use a claiming apprentice along the way.

“But Scott has got the horses number. He gets into him at the top of the straight and keeps him working all the way to the line. That’s how he is used to being ridden.

“Now if I get an apprentice who maybe is a bit lazy early and not as strong in the finish, Secrets Untold might not be winning. So it is a bit of a dilemma.

“Oh, he is such a lovely horse to train,” continued Cox. “He’s got such an easy temperament – but then so do most Sequalo’s.

“This was his first time this far (1813m). We’d thought we try him up in distance as he has been finishing his races off so well over a mile ... and he just put in, as he always does,” concluded Cox.

Secrets Untold was Seamer’s third winner at the meeting.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Devastating (O. Turpin) was slow to jump. Double Portion (P. Hammersley) was inclined to pull hard in the early stages. Near the 150m Devastating was momentarily held up on the heels of the tiring Striking Victory (A. Pattillo). The Club's veterinary surgeon reported that Devastating returned to the enclosure with blood in its mouth as a result of a small laceration to the gum. A swab sample was taken from Devastating. As a result of Striking Victory throwing its head back and contacting jockey A. Pattillo's head, A. Pattillo was examined by the Club's doctor who ruled him unfit to continue riding.


Race 6:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Peter Balzen trained Tornadic Sky prevailed in a pressurised finish under a determined ride from Jason Taylor to land the eighth win of his career.

“I rode him a few runs back and he went terrific, said Taylor. “I thought then that he might be good enough to win a race like this in town.

“I suppose we might have been a bit lucky in that Rasmussen (the race favourite who Tornadic Sky only just beat to the line) will be a better horse for the run and will be harder to beat next time. We caught him on the right day.

“They just kept coming at him and he just kept finding,” said Taylor, before he limped away.

“It’s still a bit sore,” acknowledged Taylor, referring to a leg injury which sidelined him after a race fall recently.’’

Nothing like a win to help ease the pain.

Tornadic Sky was the longest priced winner on the card.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rags To Riches (C. McIver) was caught three wide after the start and raced three wide for the entire event.


Race 7:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Gillian Heinrich trained Ghetto Blaster made light work of carrying 58kg as he dismissed the opposition with a touch of arrogance to come home untroubled, landing his seventh win from only twelve starts.

The impressive looking five-year-old lay just off the speed on the rail in the early part before jockey Scott Seamer asked his mount to quicken in the straight.

The move forward was unrushed and finely measured by a jockey who knew exactly what he had under him.

GhettoBlaster was racing first up after a nine month layoff. Trainer Gillian Heinrich explains the time out.

“After the effects they suffered from the EI injections I decided I it just wasn’t worth taking any chances with them (Ghetto Blaster and Rasmussen) and so I just put the both out.

“I decided then that I would only bring them back when I thought they were one-hundred percent ready and that’s what I have done,” continued Heinrich.

“Originally I had plans to take these horses to Melbourne and maybe we can follow through with that now, but those plans still have to be finalised.”

Ghetto Blaster was Scott Seamer’s fourth winner on the day.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Ghetto Blaster (S. Seamer) was inclined to over-race in the early and middle stages. Fangles (J. Byrne) and Ima Joker (A. Spinks) raced wide for the majority of the event. Shortly after straightening Ghetto Blaster, when shifting out to improve, made contact with Elegant Roi.


Race 8:

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Les Ross trained Master Illusion scored a minor upset when upstaging the favourite Framous, getting home in the final stride.

“He’s racing third-up over extra ground. It’s his distance,” explained Ross.

“Have a look,” continued Ross. “You’ll see. He’s won seven times in his career and six of those wins have been over 1400m. The distance was the key.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer Darlene Duryea was fined $100 under LR. 70 for failing to declare B. El-Issa as the rider of Prince Puzzle by the prescribed time. After being stood down by the Club's doctor, jockey B. El-Issa was replaced by apprentice C. McIver as no senior rider was available. As no senior rider was available, stewards permitted apprentice M. Hellyer to replace A. Pattillo as the rider of Academy Pride. Voltabolta (J. Byrne) was caught wide rounding the first turn and raced wide for the majority of the event.
Apprentice M. Radecker, the rider of Rock My Roof, was severely reprimanded for allowing her mount to shift in after leaving the 1100m when not clear of Life’s Short (Michael Palmer), which was inclined to over-race, causing that horse to become unbalanced and race ungenerously for a short distance.
Approaching the 1000m Millers Wheel (R. McMahon) had to be checked and shifted wider when over-racing after improving on to the heels of Prince Of Steel. Near the 800m Prince Of Steel had to be checked when tightened between Miller Wheel and Flying Kwila which shifted out. M. Paget, the rider of Flying Kwlia, was severely reprimanded and instructed to exercise more care in similar circumstances. Passing the 800m Prince Of Steel had to be checked when being eased away from the heels of Flying Kwila (M. Paget) which shifted out slightly. Shobelle (S. Seamer) had difficulty obtaining clear running for the entire straight. Academy Pride (M. Hellyer) had difficulty obtaining clear running until near the 200m. The Club's veterinary surgeon reported that Prince Of Steel bled from both nostrils. Stewards advised trainer L. Manzelmann that under AR. 53A the horse would incur a mandatory three month ban from racing.