ALL THE ACTION FROM IPSWICH

A review of the meeting held at Ipswich on Thursday, September 18.

Race 1:
1st - Spring Mambo; 2nd - Binda Belle; 3rd - Many Excuses

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Alan Ross trained Spring Mambo went one better than his runner-up finish last time when he came home under a perfect ride from jockey Bobby El-Issa.

The four-year-old chestnut had enough early speed to settle in the pound seats and he raced in a prominent fourth placing, hard against the fence, in the early part.

Spring Mambo was snapping at the heels of the leader, Binda Belle, when the field turned for home and El-Issa wasted little time in pulling his mount out for a run.

Binda Belle was no easy target tough. The filly showed plenty of fight as Spring Mambo ranged up alongside her, but the latter put his head in front inside the final 100m and finished off the job well to score by a little under a length.

Spring Mambo gave El-Issa the first leg of a riding double on the day.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Bull Catcher (A. Pattillo) was tightened for room at the start. Adventurous Spirit (M. Heagney) and Many Excuses (L. Cheshire) were tightened for room at the start. Near the 600m, Pegunny Theatre shifted out, hampering both La Tomatina and Bull Catcher. La Tomatina and Bull Catcher both raced wide from that point.
When questioned regarding the performance of Bull Catcher, A. Pattillo stated that the horse, after suffering interference at the start, had raced greenly throughout. He further stated that after being forced wider near the 600m, the gelding continued to race greenly and when placed under pressure over the concluding stages, Bull Catcher was inclined to lay in, resulting in him being forced to ease from the heels of Jester Canny Go near the 100m. A. Pattillo added that after straightening his mount, the gelding was still inclined to hang in over the concluding stages. La Tomatina lost its off-fore plate in running.


Race 2:
1st - Chakvetadze; 2nd - Pampling Road; 3rd - Don't Push Me

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The performance of the day came from the Michael Nolan trained first-timer Chakvetadze, who trounced her opposition in no uncertain style and stopped the clock in a time which bettered Myndos’ thirty-three month old class record.

“She trialed well and we knew she was very fast,” said Nolan, “but you never really know how they can perform until they race.”

Nolan need not have worried. The well supported daughter of Talmazov never let her rivals into the race, jumping clear at the break and maintaining a resolute gallop to the line to win by a runaway 6.80 length margin.

Apprentice jockey Amy Taylor takes up the story.

“I rode her in a trial over 650m at Toowoomba where she sat three or four deep outside a whole lot of horses and just followed them into the straight and then went away from them,” said Taylor.

“She’s not used to being out front alone by herself so she did get a little bit lost after entering the straight,” continued Taylor.

“She was travelling beautifully though, but I gave her a couple of slaps over the shoulder and a smack behind to keep her focussed.

“I couldn’t hear anything coming after that so I just pushed her out to the line.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Beach Kings commenced to hang out badly from the 800m and continued to do so for the remainder of the event. Connections were advised that Beach Kings must barrier trial satisfactorily prior to its next race start. Near the 600m, Don’t Push Me (B. Evans) shifted in, causing Monates (L. Rolls) to ease. Near the 100m, Hell Week (A. Spinks) shifted out, making contact with Monates.


Race 3:
1st - Bloodhound; 2nd - Many Talents; 3rd - Heartland

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Joe Gleeson trained Bloodhound scored his first win at his third attempt under an aggressive ride from jockey Bobby El-Issa.

The gelding has been gradually been stepped up in distance in each start, from his debut over 1100m to 1200m to winning over 1350m.

“I think he will go a mile,” volunteered Gleeson, “but at this stage he is just progressing naturally.

“The extra ground helped in getting the result but I think the ride probably won the race,” continued Gleeson.

“It was an aggressive ride by Bobby. He needed to go on the offensive and then he kept him going when challenged.”

Bloodhound stole a march on the field when El-Issa pushed him forward in the sweep to the turn. That move caught their rivals napping and the duo turned into the straight with a four length advantage which proved decisive in the outcome.

Many Talents and Heartland, the two main fancies, led the chase and closed up strongly over the concluding stages but Bloodhound had done enough to get home, albeit by a fast diminishing margin.

El-Issa only had two rides on the card and Bloodhound was his second winner after scoring with Spring Mambo in the opening event.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Watchmaker (J. Bowditch) jumped away awkwardly, losing ground. Watchmaker and Many Talents raced wide in the early stages. Sharing The Magic raced wide from the 600m onwards. Near the 300m, Zannipour was hampered when La Belle Cachette (P. Wolfgram) shifted out to avoid the heels of the tiring Watchmaker. She’s A Model (K. Wharton) raced wide throughout.


Race 4:
1st - Subtle Glance; 2nd – Gravitron; 3rd - Wifi

WINNER FEEDBACK:
“He should have won last time. He got held up in the running. We were very confident today.”

Trainer Dwayne Schmidt was talking about his winner Subtle Glance, who dominated both the betting boards and the race itself when starting at odds of $1.80 and winning by a comfortable 2.30 lengths.

Was it the plan to go to the front?

“No, I wanted to sit in second,” answered Schmidt, “but I couldn’t believe how slow they went.

“I was very happy with the initiative shown by Jim (Byrne) when he decided to run his own race,” continued Schmidt.

“That’s why you put a good jockey on mate, so they can make that call.”

Once that call had been made, Subtle Glance was never troubled. The top weight strode away from his rivals with ease in the straight to score in convincing fashion.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Ground Swell (S. Drake) and Em’s Girl (K. Wharton) were both inclined to over-race during the early and middle stages. Em’s Girl hung out from the 800m to the 300m, at which stage he was forced to ease from the heels of Wifi (M. Paget).


Race 5:
1st - Another Ali; 2nd – Nasadispute; 3rd - Nagem

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The eight-year-old Another Ali showed plenty of character when he prevailed in a pressurised finish to land the fourth win of his career.

Not that result looked likely at the top of the straight.

Jockey Kelvin Wharton had the John Mahoney trained gelding at the rear of a bunched field turning into the straight and was seemingly left with nowhere to go and he had no option but to check his mount quite severely.

What did Wharton think when he had his knees tucked under his chin?

“There was no run anywhere at that stage - and I mean no run. Not a thing,” explained Wharton.

“I wanted to ride the horse cold because he had got home well at Doomben the previous start, but at the top of the straight it didn’t look like he would get the chance to run on.”

But then a bit of daylight appeared along the inside running rail.

“It was quite hairy,” continued Wharton. “It wasn’t a full gap. It was just enough for him to have a go and luckily he didn’t hesitate. He kept going and suddenly we had our chance.”

Another Ali had responded to the initial challenge and he now made it stick in the straight, chasing home hard under a powerful ride from Wharton.

There was pressure all around in the closing stages but Another Ali maintained his effort to the line to ward off all challenges to claim victory.

“He’ll probably go 1800m next time,” said Wharton. “He’s an old horse and he has a few tricks but, yeah, 1800m should suit him well.

“The connections are just such lovely people to ride for. They are just doing their thing with a few of their own horses.

“Sometimes you get more pleasure out of the excitement you give them then you do on supposedly better and bigger occasions. I really like that,” concluded Wharton.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Kosher (J. Murphy) was slow to begin. Afleet Zephyr (C. Isdale) jumped with its head in the air and lost ground. Van Rooyen (S. Cormack) over-raced for a short distance leaving the 1400m. Kosher raced wide in the early stages. Approaching the 500m, Sunset Marquis (A. Pattillo) shifted out to improve, forcing Van Rooyen wider on the track. Uncle Jan (J. Byrne) and Nasadispute (J. Bowditch) were both held up for clear running rounding the home turn, which resulted in Nasadispute having to be eased from the heels of Uncle Jan. Another Ali (K. Wharton) was also held up for clear running on the home turn. Approaching the 300m, the tiring Kosher was forced to ease when racing between Sunset Marquis and Uncle Jan, which shifted out. Over the concluding stages, Another Ali shifted out under pressure, forcing Nagem (B. Evans) out, which resulted in Uncle Jan being hampered. Temangum Bay (S. Drake) and Van Rooyen raced wide throughout.


Race 6:
1st – Periander; 2nd - He's Wise; 3rd - What Is This

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The four-year-old gelding Periander scored for the second successive time over the track and distance, getting home in the closest finish of the day to win by the proverbial nose.

Trainer Noel Doyle admitted the draw was a slight worry going into the race.

“It was a worry, but we did come in a bit with a few scratchings and I did think he did have something on them so I thought he would go well,” said Doyle.

Jockey Matthew Bennett had Periander superbly placed throughout but he did have a bit of a fight on his hands with his own mount who wanted to go to war far earlier than the rider would allow.

“When those horses came around us approaching the turn, he just wanted to chase and take them on,” said Bennett. “I said ‘not yet, not yet.’ I waited as long as I could and when I did release the brake he took off.”

It still took a hard ride from Bennett in a competitive chase in the straight to get Periander to the front but, in the end, his timing was inch perfect and as Periander hit the line just a nose in front of the faster finishing He’s Wise, who was ahead of the winner one stride past the post.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Approaching the 800m, Arctic Echo (A. Spinks) was obliged to ease from the heels of Monaleah (M. Price), which shifted in. As a result Arctic Echo shifted out, hampering both He’s Wise (B. Evans) and Stormy Cruz (J. Brown). Near the 50m, Monaleah (M. Price) was forced to check when tightened for room by Delcius (D. Barron), which after initially shifting in, was taken in by Arctic Echo (A. Spinks), which shifted in to obtain clear running after being held up from leaving the 100m. A.Spinks, rider of Arctic Echo, was reprimanded in relation to this incident. Over the concluding stages, Delcius and Arctic Echo were both tightened for room and forced to check when What Is This (N. Day), after shifting in and away from Periander (M. Bennett), was then taken in by Periander, which shifted in under pressure. Both N. Day, rider of What Is This, and M. Bennett, rider of Periander, were reprimanded in relation to this incident. Early Up and Stormy Cruz raced wide throughout.


Race 7:
1st - Johnny Aucash; 2nd – Exertion; 3rd - Femme Lien

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Chris Whiteley seldom comes to a meeting and goes away empty-handed and his winner this time came in the form of the big gelding Johnny Aucash for trainer Sel Andrew.

Johnny Aucash was up with the speed but kept wide in the early part and Whiteley decided to let the gelding go turning into the home straight.

The four-year-old kicked strongly to establish an advantage and then showed fair fighting qualities when staying on late to peg back the persistent challenge of Exertion who threatened the winner all the way to the line.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Approaching the 800m, Rocktari (P. Wolfgram) was inclined to over-race and was forced to ease from the heels of Fletchers Mutiny (M. Palmer). Leaving the 400m, Imaged (L. Rolls) was forced to ease when attempting to take a run to the inside of Exertion (J. Byrne), which shifted in. Silversmith, which was following, improved up on to the heels of Imaged and was forced to check. J. Byrne, rider of Imaged, was reprimanded in relation to this incident. Approaching the 200m, Tune Up Tuesday (C. Isdale) was forced to shift out to avoid the heels of the tiring Mythical Memory (A. Taylor). Silversmith was held up for clear running over the concluding stages. Bucksome Belle (A. Spinks) and Zacs Equal (K. Wharton) raced wide throughout.