DOOMBEN REVIEW - SEPTEMBER 27

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Saturday, September 27.

Race 1:

Class 6 Handicap- 1200m
1st - Rapid Babe; 2nd - Sleek Repeat; 3rd - Manic Monday

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “She’s always been a pretty good mare and has run some pretty good races in her time, Things just never went her way before, which they did today. It always makes it easier when you get that inside run. The shortest way home always helps.”

Jockey Paul Hammersley: “She hesitated to go forward when stuck in traffic, but when she got an opening she took it well.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Russeting (C. McIver) over-raced in the early stages and had to be steadied off the heels of Jezzamine (J. Holder) passing the 800m. Barbres (T. Pannell), Jessamine (J. Holder) and Russeting (C. McIver) were all forced to race 3 wide throughout. Jezzamine (J. Holder) lost its near hind plate in running.


Race 2:

QTIS 3yo Handicap - 1615m
1st - Athenas Gift; 2nd – Seesawing; 3rd - Papal Joy

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “His defeat last time was my fault. Mark it down as trainer error. I had him too fresh and he had run his race before he went out.
“He had a couple of good hit-outs since then, and I declared him today. I told the owners it was payday. I really like this horse. He is still green but I like the way he learns things.
“I think he is a definite Winter Carnival stayer prospect. If he comes through as I expect, I’ll be looking at races like the Grand Prix and the Derby.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “I was happy to lead or sit second, but I didn’t want to have to hunt him. When they slowed it down in the back I was happy to go forward.
“They came at me at the 700m already, but I just gave him a bit more. He’s got a reasonable cruising speed and a good kick, but he is still looking for further.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Athenas Gift (S. Scriven) blundered on jumping away and was then tightened for room a short distance later between Orient Success (S. Galloway), which shifted out slightly, and Seesawing (C. Reith), which was taken in by Offshore Trader (J. Byrne). Bel Harbour (T. Pannell) over-raced during the early stages. Seesawing (C. Reith) was inclined to lay in under pressure over the concluding stages. A post-race veterinary examination of Seesawing and Bel Harbour failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 3:

Class 6 Handicap - 1615m
1st - Regal Castanea; 2nd - Punch Up; 3rd - Crowning Force

Trainer Ron Macrae: “He’s getting better and better. He’ll have one more run at Eagle Farm over a mile in a fortnight. That will be at set weights so he will actually drop half a kilo. Then he’ll go to the Paddock and come back for the summer features."

Jockey Scott Galloway: “He’s always shown a lot of promise and has been well placed by Ron, but he really has improved out of sight.
“I must have saved about five lengths with the inside run. I wasn’t worried about the horses ahead on the inside. I knew they would drop off. Although he has done his best work to date at Eagle Farm, I also had no worries about racing at Doomben, particularly over a mile. It was never going to be a problem.”

Regal Castanea has now won four out of his five starts this season. He has been partnered by Galloway in all five starts and has won on each occasion he has started as favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Crowning Force (M. Dorrington) was very slow to begin. Trainer B. Johnson was advised that a warning was being placed on the gelding for being slow to begin. Shortly after straightening, Paraja (C. McIver) was bumped by Regal Castenea (S. Galloway), which shifted in to obtain clear running. For a short distance approaching the 200m, Little Stranger (J. Byrne) had difficulty obtaining clear running.


Race 4:

Alan Marr Memorial NMW Handicap - 2020m
1st – Scattergun; 2nd - Eskimo Dan; 3rd - Sam's Express

Trainer Brian Smith: “He’s put a couple together now so he’s going good. He was nominated for a race in Sydney and, if there had been a bit of rain, we might have taken it on – but we didn’t have the confidence in the circumstances. We’ll have another look at that option now.

Jockey: Ric McMahon: He was a bit scratchy in the start and I urged him along and he picked up the bit around the back. They were walking so I just let him slide forward and he got to the front without any real effort. From there he was good enough to dictate things to his advantage.”

A point of trivia: Irrespective of the ultra-slow early speed which turned the race into a sprint home, the fact that Scattergun, a stayer racing over 2020m, was able to post the fastest last 600m time for the day (33.55 seconds) was a rare effort.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rezone (J. Taylor) jumped awkwardly. Passing the 800m when Scattergun (R. McMahon) obtained the lead, Sam’s Express (Matthew Palmer) shifted off the fence, momentarily forcing On The Up (S. Cormack) 3 wide.


Race 5:

NMW Handicap - 2020m
1st - La Zeel; 2nd -Dawns Queen; 3rd - Rory's Thunder

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Les Kelly: “We thought he was a good thing today after his previous two wins. We were very confident.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “The key was setting a good tempo, and that’s what I set out to do. He’s a ‘catch me if you can’ type of horse and at the moment it is best to ride him that way. It all worked out well.”

La Zeel has only been in the Kelly yard for six runs. This third successive win identifies the daughter of Zabeel as a fast developing staying prospect. Her previous two wins were over 1800m and the step up in distance here did little to blunt her sharpness, bearing out the earlier comment Kelly made after La Zeel had scored her first win for the stable. On that occasion Kelly said, “She’s just an out and out stayer. The further they go, the more she’ll like it.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Cockaigne (B. Pengelly) made contact with the outside rail when proceeding to the barriers, dislodging B. Pengelly. Cockaigne was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to start. Cockaigne was a little slow to begin.
T. Pannell, rider of Deferred (T. Pannell), pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that passing the winning post on the first occasion he allowed his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Kentish Rose (S. Cormack), resulting in Kentish Rose having to be checked to avoid the heels of Deferred. T. Pannell was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 27 September and to expire at midnight, 8 October 2008.
Passing the 1600m, Tolart (C. Reith) was momentarily steadied when placed in restricted room to the inside of Rory’s Thunder (A. Spinks). When the pace steadied passing the 1600m, Cockaigne (B. Pengelly), Kentish Rose (S. Cormack), Rory’s Thunder (A. Spinks), UncleJan (S. Drake) and Iluva Queenslander (J. Holder) all had to be steadied. Near the 1200m, Cockaigne shifted out and forced Kentish Rose wider on the track. Deferred (T. Pannell) raced wide in the early stages. Shooting Scene (K. Wharton) and Winmara (J. Taylor) raced wide in the middle stages.


Race 6:

CG&E Class 6 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Tour Guide; 2nd – Rockem; 3rd - Androuge

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gillian Heinrich: “The boys are back.”
This was a reference to the stable’s recent run of results which include wins by Ghetto Blaster, Conquering Spirit, Left Standing, Tour Guide and runner-up finishes by Rasmussen and, in the race which followed this one, Dance The Waves – all of whom were returning fighting fit after a layoff).
“I put them all out for a long spell after they all performed so poorly after the EI injections. Some people were bagging me for that decision but look at them all now. They are flying.”

Jockey Ric McMahon: “He just used his natural speed to get there (to the lead). Then I got a pretty soft lead really and when I pressed the button in the straight he just when whoosh.”

If you followed the trend, you got the money. The Heinrich trained runners returning from a long self-imposed exile have been relentless in their return performances which stand as a credit to the trainer, both in terms of the decision she took when troubled by the performances of her horses earlier in the year, and in terms of her ability to set them first-up in such fine fighting fettle.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Near the 1000m, Woody ‘N’ Buzz had to be steadied off the heels of One Eyed (J. Byrne), which shifted in. Woody ‘N’Buzz over-raced on the heels of One Eyed for a short distance thereafter. Androuge (K. Forrester) had difficulty obtaining clear running in the early stages of the straight. One Eyed and Woody ‘N’ Buzz raced wide throughout. Woody ‘N’ Buzz lost its near hind plate in running. A post-race veterinary examination of Woody ‘N’ Buzz failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 7:

Open Handicap - 1110m
1st - Bold Reason; 2nd - Dance The Waves; 3rd - Forestreno

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tony Webb: “I take every run as they come, but he is such a versatile horse. That’s the beauty of him you know. He can lead. He can come from last. He’s won here over 1100m. He’s won over 1600m. It’s a nice range of ability to work with.”

Jockey Jason Taylor: “It was not the best of beginnings, but it was the best outcome. I think the slow getaway might have been a blessing in disguise because, I thought afterwards, if I had tried to go forward I might have been caught wide. So I took the sit off a hot pace and came on strong in the finish.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Tornadic Sky (M. Palmer) jumped inwards at the start, making contact with Noble Gaze (S. Cormack). Noble Gaze (S. Cormack) had difficulty obtaining clear running in the early stages of the straight. Black Suit (G. Baker) and Myndos (R. McMahon) raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Black Suit failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 8:

QTIS NMW Handicap - 1350m
1st - Going Fine; 2nd - Carnegie Prince; 3rd - Dell Amby

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Darron Coleman: “It was too easy. That’s what happens when you ride good horses.”

Falzig (J. Holder) was momentarily held up for clear running shortly after straightening. Near the 100m, Montana Hilton (R. Agnew) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Mohawk (S. Drake), which shifted out. S. Drake was reprimanded. Voltabolta (Matthew Palmer), Our Magic (J. Byrne), Lucky Luna (K. Forrester) and Mohawk (S. Drake) raced wide throughout.