ALL THE ACTION FROM THE SUNSHINE COAST

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, September 21.

Race 1:

QTIS 3yo Maiden Plate - 1400m
1st – Notevennow; 2nd - Markhee Miss; 3rd - Sarday

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Bryan Guy trained Notevennow did enough to land the first win of his career, just seeing off the late challenge of Markhee Miss to score by the narrowest of margins.

The colt had two runner-up finishes in his previous four starts to recommend his chances and he was strongly supported in the betting, starting as a short-priced favourite.

Jockey Ric McMahon slotted Notevennow just off the speed until approaching the home turn.

Switched out for a run, Notevennow took some time to warm to his task, but then he did respond and moved up challenge for the lead.

When Notevennow took the lead away from Heza Rocker at the 200m, it looked to be ‘race over’, but the hard chasing Markhee Miss was not done yet and she threw down a determined, late challenge to ensure that the race went down to the wire.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shocking Blue (G. Geran), which raced greenly throughout, hung out near the 700m, hampering Markhee Miss (T. Dicey). Shocking Blue then continued to hang from that point onwards. Trainer P. Sexton was advised that a warning was being placed on Shocking Blue regarding its racing manners. Lukin (C. McIver) raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Heza Rocker revealed the horse to be suffering from severe respiratory distress. Trainer L. Ross was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for the horse, including the results of a endoscopic examination, prior to its next race start.


Race 2:

Maiden Plate - 1200 m
1st -Liberty Mist; 2nd - Bella Road; 3rd - Luvenger

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Chris Reith made the trip to the track for one ride and went home a winner after partnering Liberty Mist to victory.

But Reith had to earn his money.

Reith had Liberty Mist well back in the early stages, as Eudaimonia set a lively gallop up front, and the duo still had plenty of ground to make up as they turned for home in sixth placing.

Liberty Mist gradually picked up the tempo and then closed markedly in mid-straight before finishing well enough under a hard ride from Reith to takes the honours.

“It’s all in her head,” commented trainer Tim Hurley. “She’s got ability and is a city class horse, but it’s been a bit of a mind game with her to get her going. She thinks too much.”

“She started at Doomben two runs back, sat three wide, never got in and not surprisingly knocked up in the straight,” continued Hurley.

“We came back here last time and, it wasn’t the boys fault, but again we couldn’t get in. The barrier took care of that.

“This time I put the blinkers on again, we were up in distance and she had a senior jock on. All of those factors helped to make the difference,” concluded Hurley.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Transglobal and Bella Road (S. Cormack) raced wide throughout. N. Thomas was dislodged from Mr Solitary on return to scale, injuring his left arm. N. Thomas was stood down from his engagement on Obi Park Princesse and was replaced by J. Holder.


Race 3

Class 5 Handicap - 1600m
1st - Key To Happiness; 2nd - Fortunatus Fidelis; 3rd - Shale Shaker

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The David Murphy trained Key To Happiness started a short-priced favourite and duly obliged’, but not with the ease in which the betting suggested he would.

Key To Happiness tracked the front-running Fortunatus Fidelis throughout. Pengelly had the favourite just one length back when he shifted out one wide at the top of the straight to commence his challenge.

At that stage the race was still going to script – but the lines changed when Pengelly asked KeyTo Happiness to go past Fortunatus Fidelis.

The latter kept kicking and suddenly Key To Happiness had a real fight on his hands.

To their credit, both horses stuck to the task all the way to the line and it took Key To Happiness the whole length of the straight to run down the game frontrunner and the favourite eventually got up in the shadow of the post.

Trainer David Murphy put the win into perspective.

“He (Key To Happiness) was going to run at Doomben last Wednesday but he had a temperature so he came out there and misses two or three days work,” explained Murphy.

“She had to work hard to win and you could see her getting tired the last bit,” continued Murphy. “But she put in the effort and, in the circumstances, I thought it was a good win.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Seekawinner (D. Gill) raced wide in the early stages. Near the 700m, Shale Shaker (B. Evans) improved up on to the heels of Key To Happiness (B. Pengelly) and was forced to ease. Apprentice B. Evans, rider of Shale Shaker, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that over the concluding stages he did persist in attempting to force a run under the whip between Key To Happiness and Fortunatus Fidelis (O. Turpin) where there was insufficient room, which resulted in Shale Shaker clipping the heels of Fortunatus Fidelis and blundering. B. Evans was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 9 meetings, to commence at midnight, 26 September 2009 and to expire at midnight, 10 October 2008. Shale Shaker was held up for clear running from the 350m onwards.


Race 4:

Maiden Handicap - 1600m,
1st - The Ultimate Act; 2nd -Renegade Dancer; 3rd - Mucho Gracias

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Robert Bradshaw trained The Ultimate Act was the longest priced winner on the card.

Jockey Sean Cormack positioned the gelding just off the speed in the early part. He then shifted out to ensure his mount had a clear run in the straight and then produced the five-year-old on cue to score a well-judged victory.

“She just got beaten two runs back and then last time she was kept wide the whole way,” said Bradshaw.

“This time she had a better jockey, a better alley. All the ticks were in the right boxes, so she certainly wasn’t winning out of turn,” concluded Bradshaw.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mystical Sands (Michael Palmer) jumped away awkwardly. Mystical Sands over-raced in the early stages and raced wide throughout. Approaching the 1100, Lilianbee improved on to the heels of Whydidyouleaveme (A. Spinks) and then shifted out abruptly, hampering Kwillem (G. Geran). Lilianbee then raced wide from that point onwards. Approaching the 300m, Passionate Stash (L. Rolls) shifted out to improve and in doing so forced Red To Riches (R. McMahon) wider on the track. Near the 100m, Lilianbee (M. Heagney) and Suave Consort (J. Holder) were both tightened for room between The Ultimate Act (S. Cormack), which shifted in under pressure, and Mucho Gracias (J. Piper), which was taken out by Renegade Dancer (M. Radecker). A post-race veterinary examination of Probability failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 5:

Class 1 Handicap - 1000m
1st – Acquired; 2nd - Bionic Rock; 3rd - Hurricaneprince

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The John Wallace trained Acquired scored an authoritative victory here under a super confident ride from Jason Holder.

Acquired raced first-up here with a number of gear changes and was clearly comfortable throughout the running.

Holder allowed her to ease across in her own time to settle just worse than midfield in the early part. The mare then travelled so well, Holder was quite happy to switch her out as the widest runner on the turn to ensure that Acquired would have an uninterrupted passage in the straight.

As it was, that was all Acquired needed to claim an impressive victory.

The mare quickened into contention in the first half of the straight and then raced away over the final 200m putting in an effort which had Holder smiling all the way to the line.

The win was even more impressive given that it was achieved over 1000m, as Acquired is bred for a longer trip and she can be expected to be as formidable force over more ground.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Approaching the 800m, Siege (R. Wiggins) had to be steadied when Kalkie Kane (L. Rolls) shifted in. L. Rolls, rider of Kalkie Kane was advised to exercise more care. Nearing the 600m, Acquired (J. Holder) improved up on to the heels of Siege and had to be steadied. Box Seat (K. Patrick) and Banditos (J. Piper) were inclined to hang out from the 450m onwards. Bionic Rock (M. Speers) raced wide throughout.


Race 6:

Class 3 Plate - 1200m
1st – Whimpy; 2nd – Abruptions; 3rd - Plenty Of Practise

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Glenn Clunes trained Whimpy completed an impressive hat trick of wins (he has only had four starts) when he came home untroubled to win, with the minimum of fuss, by 1.30 lengths.

Whimpy’s three wins have all been achieved with some authority. The slow step up in distance (he has won over 1000m, 1100m and now 1200m) is likely to continue.

“He’ll go a mile,” stated Clunes, “and the plan is to keep slowly stepping up in distance.”

Whimpy was jockey Shane Scriven’s only ride for the day and he was obviously satisfied with the result – although he made a point of not getting carried away about Whimpy’s future.

“Look, he’s pretty much bombproof at the moment,” said Scriven.

“He can go back or go forward, which is always good,” continued Scriven. “There are going to be far bigger tests than this though and, who knows if he will hit the wall or not.

“But you can only talk about what is happening now and regarding his career at the moment, everything is on the way up,” said Scriven.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Draco (K. Wharton) was slow to begin. Bigger Than (C. McIver) was hampered at the start between Five Of A Kind (M. Heagney) and Jemajay Belle (G. Baker), which shifted out. Obi Park Princesse (J. Holder) shifted in under pressure near the 100m.


Race 7:

Class 1 Handicap - 1400m
1st – Malandrina; 2nd - Through The Waves; 3rd - Bougette
WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Brian Smith trained Malandrina gave jockey Ric McMahon his second winner of the day when he chased home gamely in the straight and was rewarded with a last stride victory.

MaMahon positioned the grey in midfield in the early part.

For just a moment on the home turn, it seemed as if Malandrina might run into a roadblock, but the colt quickened enough to slip into daylight and then set sail after the tough frontrunner Through The Waves, who was intent on making every post a winning one.

Initially, Malandrina’s progress looked likely to come up shy of success, but her persistence paid dividends as the four-year-old reeled in Thorugh The Waves over the final 100m to get up in the very last stride.

This was Malandrina’s second successive victory. She shed her Maiden ticket her previous outing.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fionn Mac Cool, which sustained superficial grazes to both hocks when being transported to the course, was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to race. Leaving the 1000m, Gemini George (C. McIver) shifted in, making contact with Fionn Mac Cool (J. Holder). In the early stages of the straight, Malandrina (R. McMahon) shifted out, making contact with Gemini George. Near the 300m, Prank Caller shifted in under pressure, obliging its rider to stop riding and straighten the horse. Prank Caller (M. Palmer) raced wide throughout. Cumbre Rocket (K. Wharton) lost its near fore plate in running.