EAGLE FARM REVIEW (SAT, OCT 11)

A review of the meeting held at eagle Farm on Saturday, October 11.

Race 1:

3yo Handicap - 1400m
1st – Portland; 2nd - River Perfume; 3rd - Warrior

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Wallace: “He had some trouble in the running on his debut. He just got there next time. He had to be pushed out on the line ... and then today he did it easy. He’s a real good prospect. I’ll have to think about it some more, but I’m considering taking him to the Sandown Guineas, which is towards the end of November. Probably give him another run before then, but that’s a possible target.”

Jockey Jason Holder: “I wanted to ride with cover and didn’t really know when to let him stride. But he was going so well I just let him roll at the top of the straight and he just raced away. I can’t see any reason why he won’t go 1600m. That’s as good a win as I’ve had in a long time.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shortly after the start Mymysherona (J. Taylor) threw its head in the air when being restrained. Approaching the 1000m Mymysherona, which was over-racing, improved up on to the heels of Warrior Within (P. Hammersley) and had to be steadied. Near the 700m Seesawing (C. Reith) improved up on to the heels of Harold (J. Bowditch) and was obliged to shift three wide. Seesawing then raced wide for the remainder of the event. Passing the 200m Warrior Within was momentarily obliged to race in restricted room to the inside of Monashee Gold (J. Jones). When questioned regarding the performance of Navigation, C. Spry stated that in his opinion the horse may not have handled today's prevailing track conditions. A post-race veterinary examination of Navigation failed to reveal any abnormalities. A post-race veterinary examination of Harold (J. Bowditch) revealed that the gelding had sustained a laceration to the inside of the off-hind fetlock.


Race 2:

2yo Fillies Plate - 1000m
1st – Paprika; 2nd – Annalisha; 3rd - Motown Lady

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “Oh she’s a real good prospect. At Toowoomba the jock gave him one smack only and she powered away to win by six lengths. Here you saw how easy it was. Can’t get carried away because the quality of the opposition is in question, but she’s doing it very well at this stage.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “She wanted to go and I wanted something to come with here. Liam (Birchley) didn’t really want her to lead, but she only really settled when she was in front. She thought it was just a romp. He was wanting to look around. She saw something close to the line and shied at the winning post. I just had to keep a tight hold on her.
“I don’t know how much she had in the tank, but she was never racing. They could have gone around another time like that and nobody would have gone past her.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer H. Norman was advised that a warning was being placed on Diva Dance, which was difficult to load. Passing the 900m Our Charmaine (E. Wilkinson) improved up on to the heels of Paprika (S. Scriven) and had to be steadied. Near the 700m Likaphantom (D. Gill) improved up on to the heels of Annalisha and had to be steadied. Stopstart, Mindiym (J. Byrne) and Lunar Life (A. Spinks) raced wide throughout. Near the 500m Diva Dance (G. Baker) shifted in abruptly hampering Likephantom. A short distance later Likaphantom shifted out and made contact with Diva Dance. Wicked Angel (J. Bowditch) was inclined to lay in under pressure in the straight. Jockey D. Gill, the rider of Likephantom, pleaded guilty to a charge of using the whip in an excessive manner under AR. 137A(1) and was fined $400. The track rating was downgraded to Heavy 8 following the running of this event.


Race 3:

2yo Colts and Geldings Plate - 1000m
1st - Ready To Venture; 2nd – Southport; 3rd - Fast Lover

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jason Taylor: “I missed the start on him but he knew what he was doing. He was just cruising and seemed to be enjoying it – especially in the wet. He went through the ground well. I always thought I had the other horse (Southport) beat. He felt like he was going to keep going.
“I just kept at him, showing him the whip, because these first-timers can get a bit lost and start to look around, so I just kept him focussed.”

Ready To Venture was the first of two winners on the day for jockey Jason Taylor. The hoop struck again in the very next race aboard Punch Up.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
As G. Lynch was to be overweight, A. Spinks was substituted as the rider of Hootillla. Stewards will interview G. Lynch at a later date. Trainer N. Hole was advised that a warning was being placed on Craiglea Scorcher, which was difficult to load. Passing the 900m Dane Babylon was momentarily placed in restricted room between Brennan and Hot Shot Henry (J. Bowditch) which shifted in. Craiglea Scorcher (A. Coome) and Australias Finest (A. Taylor) raced wide throughout. Passing the 300m Craiglea King (C. Reith) commenced to lay in and near the 150m shifted in tightening Dane Babylon which had to be steadied. Craiglea King continued to lay in for the remainder of the event.


Race 4:

Class 6 Plate - 1600m
1st - Punch Up; 2nd – Voltabolta; 3rd - Athenas Gift

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Balzen: “Like Jason (Taylor) said, he shied at the winning post because he hadn’t seen it for so long. Look, he was either going to win or run last today. Something had to change from all of those placed runs. He gave no indication that he had trained off so I just let him get on with it.”

Jockey Jason Taylor: “He’s so honest and he has been running behind some good horses. He deserves this win. He loves the heavier going. Last time I won on him was in heavy going so the ground was to his advantage today.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Near the 1100m the saddle on Burgendy Prince (J. Jones) shifted forward, placing apprentice J. Jones at a disadvantage for the remainder of the event. Near the 350m Regal Catasnea was hampered when tightened for room between He’s Some Eagle (M. Heagney) and Athena’s Gift (J. Byrne), which shifted out slightly. Approaching the winning post Punch Up (J. Taylor) shifted out abruptly. Jockey S. Galloway stated that Regal Castanea failed to quicken today as at its previous starts due to, in his opinion, the weight and today's track conditions


Race 5:

Open Handicap - 2100m
1st - Pay Me; 2nd – Chiefcomingfirst; 3rd – Currigee

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tracy Green: “He coped with the track today although he does like to have a bit of firm footing. He didn’t like the tracks during the carnival. They were ... I don’t know what they were ... They were bottomless.
“He’s been building up well this prep. He loves this trip. It’s been difficult to find the right race for him while keeping the weight off. He doesn’t handle weight that well. There’s nothing up here for him for a while now, so I’m possibly looking at taking him to a 2000m welter in Sydney in two weeks time.”

Pay Me broke a bit of a drought for jockey Jim Byrne. “It’s been pi...g me off mate, all of those places without a winner. It’s good to get this one behind me.”

As is often the case, once the drought is broken the floodgates open. Byrne went on to ride the next two winners on the card to complete a hat trick.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Cockaigne (Matthew Palmer) raced wide in the early stages. Cedar Manor (D. Coleman) over-raced in the early stages.
When questioned regarding the performance of Scattergun, jockey S. Galloway stated that the horse never travelled well and in his opinion may not have handled today's track conditions with its allotted weight. Trainer B. Smith stated that he was disappointed with the horse's performance today as he had expected a more forward showing. He advised that the horse would be sent for an immediate spell. A post-race veterinary examination of Scattergun failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 6:

Class 6 Handicap - 1200m
1st - On The Fridge; 2nd - Our Magic; 3rd - Pelltro

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jim Byrne: “She’s a very adaptable horse. You can take her forward. You can take her back. She’s got very smart acceleration and now she looks like she can do that on any ground. I certainly didn’t think she could sprint like that on this going. She’s so versatile you know. Things are really looking good for her.”

On The Fridge was winning for the fifth time in only seven starts for trainer Robert Heathcote.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rockem (R. McMahon), which was a little slow to begin, was further hampered on jumping away between Monashee Knight (C. Reith), which jumped away awkwardly and shifted out, and St Verdi (S. Scriven) which shifted in. Catchit (M. Radecker) jumped away awkwardly. On jumping away Camulet (D. Coleman) and On The Fridge (J. Byrne) were tightened for room between Our Magic (A. Pattillo), which shifted out, and Hesashow ( J. Holder), which shifted in after receiving a bump from Socialist (Matthew Palmer). In this incident Camulet had to be steadied. Monashee Knight over-raced in the early stages. St Verdi raced wide throughout. Approaching the 200m Our Magic and Hesashow brushed. A post-race veterinary examination of St Verdi revealed the gelding to be sore in the off-fore fetlock. Trainer B. Baldwin's foreperson was advised that a veterinary clearance must be produced and the horse must trial satisfactorily before its next race start.


Race 7:

Quality Handicap - 1200m
1st – Vocalic; 2nd – Forestreno; 3rd - Ghetto Blaster

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jim Byrne: “The track is pretty uniform (Byrne won on the inside aboard On The Fridge and gave a rail hugging ride on Volcalic). You must bear in mind that the last two winners were both by Easy Rocking and they just swing in this type of going.
“They went pretty slow early. He has a good furlong sprint, so I knew if I went early he would take some catching. They were closing at the line, but he had done enough.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Ghetto Blaster (R. McMahon) jumped away awkwardly. Passing the 1000m Moglich had to be steadied off the heels of Forestreno(A. Pattillo). Ghetto Blaster over-raced in the early stages. Passing the 800m Bold Reason (J. Taylor) commenced to over-race and did so for a short distance. Cocktail Supreme (M. Radecker), Mr Hornblower (T. Pannell) and Ollie Vollie (S. Galloway) raced wide throughout. Ghetto Blaster shifted out rounding the home turn in an endeavour to obtain clear running and in doing so forced Mr Hornblower and Stylish Qualo (C. Reith) wider on the track.


Race 8:

NMW Handicap - 1400m
1st - Sleek Repeat; 2nd - Tims Image; 3rd - Lucky Luna

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Andrew Spinks: “I couldn’t keep her any slower on the turn. She was fair dinkum pulling my arms out of their sockets. All the way up the straight there was never any question she would keep fighting. She must be just about the best horse I’ve ridden in my last sixty rides. Some of those have been handy horses but they just haven’t fired for me. This one was all fight. She deserved the result.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Approaching the 1100m Dell Amby (S. Cormack) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Carnegie Prince (S. Galloway), which shifted in. S. Galloway was reprimanded under AR. 137(a). Just A Classic (J. Bowditch) and Battle At Sea over-raced in the early stages. Lucky Luna (A. Pattillo) and Academy Pride (J. Byrne) raced wide throughout. Near the 500m Reincarnation (Matthew Palmer) had to be steadied off the heels of Ninang (A. Coome) which shifted in slightly. Passing the 200m Deception Bay was disappointed for a run between Tims Image (R. McMahon) and Sleek Repeat where there was insufficient room. Deception Bay was then obliged to shift out in an endeavour to obtain clear running. Academy Pride (J. Byrne), which had been laying in for the majority of the event, shifted in near the 150m, making contact with Just A Classic, which in turn shifted in and bumped Androuge.