SUNSHINE COAST REVIEW (SUN, OCT 26)

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, October 26.

Apprentice jockey Jana Piper added another notch onto her belt when bringing Mulga Bob home in the fourth race. Piper ride earned praise from trainer Glenn Clunes and the result allowed her to maintain her position at the top of the jockeys championship ladder at the Sunshine Coast – albeit by a narrow one win margin over fellow apprentice Owen Turpin who had a double at the meeting.

Apprentice jockey Skye Bogenhuber won on Grey Encounter, her only ride of the day. It was win number six for Bogenhuber in the last three days, a statistic which would make any jockey proud.

There was relief at last for trainer Frank Phillips who struck with Frisco’s in Charge. The stable has watched a number of its runners finish second in recent times, often by the narrowest of margins, and the win provided a well-deserved change of fortune.


Race 1:

3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1000m
1st - Grey Encounter; 2nd - Miss Teapot; 3rd - Kellina's Shadow

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tony Gollan: “He’s a horse with some ability, but he’s still very green. We thought if we could get him out into daylight he would finish off well, but even in getting the result he was still doing a lot of things wrong. Skye (Bogenhuber) did a very good job, because he is probably a horse who needs a senior rider. She did very well.”

Apprentice jockey Skye Bogenhuber: “I gave him cover and he travelled well. He’s still a bit green so it took a while to get him to the outside, but we thought he would finish off well, and he did.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Lisaldatroy (E. Wilkinson) was slow to begin. Bundarra (L. Dittman) knuckled on jumping away. Cheque For Freedom (C. Dixon) jumped outwards at the start, hampering Jester Canny Go (T. Pannell). Elate And Excite (O. Turpin) had a tendency to lay out in the middle stages. Near the 700m, Bundarra (L. Dittman) was momentarily tightened for room by Cheque For Freedom, which shifted in despite the efforts of its rider. Captain Darling (S. Cormack) commenced to hang out leaving the 700m and did so until entering the home straight. Meydan (K. Cunningham) raced wide for the majority of the event.
Stewards questioned apprentice L. Dittman regarding his failure to hold a forward position on Bundarra today, consistent with its normal racing pattern. L. Dittman explained that he had been instructed to urge the horse forward and did so during the early stages of the race, however Bundarra failed to show its customary early speed. He further stated that Bundarra in fact lost ground during the middle stages despite his urgings. Trainer Mr L. Wheeler confirmed the instructions and advised that the colt had jarred up on today's firm racing surface. A post-race veterinary examination of Bundarra revealed the colt was slightly lame in the off foreleg. Trainer L. Wheeler was advised that he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for Bundarra prior to its next race start.


Race 2:

3yo Maiden Plate - 1400m
1st – Irishkiwi; 2nd - Shot Bar; 3rd -Queen Of Bling

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Sean Cormack: “He had blinkers on for the first time and he had the draw to cope with. He normally settles well but with the blinkers on he travelled a little too well early. That was good in a way because it took care of the draw, but I had to give him a breather along the way because he had been so keen. Then I just let him roll in the straight. I wasn’t worried about what anybody else was doing. I was concentrating on my horse and how to get the best out of him.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shortly after the start, Century Rock (T. Chambers) hung in and clipped the heels of Mirandize (A. Pattillo). Near the 1300m, Holy Apollo (A. Spinks) shifted in momentarily tightening the running of Cha Cha Man (J. Byrne). Holy Apollo, when shifting out to relieve the pressure, then had to be steadied off the heels of Prince Echelon. Cha Cha Man (J. Byrne) over-raced in the middle stages and near the 800m, when being restrained off the heels of Shocking Blue (G. Geran), shifted wider on the track. At the same stage, Prince Echelon (K. Pope) improved up on to the heels of Craiglea Fountain (A. Coome) and when being steadied shifted out. Leaving the 300m, Holy Apollo (A. Spinks) shifted out, making contact with Cha Cha Man (J. Byrne).
A post-race veterinary examination of Ephyra revealed the filly to be mildly lame in the off foreleg. Trainer M. Tremble was advised that he would be required to produce a veterinary clearance for Ephyra prior to its next race start.


Race 3:

QTIS 4yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1400m
1st - My Counsel; 2nd – Resurrected; 3rd - Hamatym

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “He nearly got up first time at reasonable odds. He made no mistake here. I wanted to wait for Melbourne Cup day but, in the end, we settled on this race.”

Jockey Joe Bowditch: “He still doesn’t know what he is doing. (This was My Counsel’s second start). This course does suit him at this stage because it gives him a bit of space and a lot of time, but he’s only doing it on raw ability at the moment. He can only get better with experience.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Over Over Casanova (M. Heagney) and Twinkling Star (A. Spinks) were slow to begin. Concarnie (M. Radecker) over-raced in the middle stages. HAMATYM was inclined to lay out under pressure over the concluding stages. Hamatym and Twinkling Star lost off-fore plates in running.
A post-race veterinary examination of Over Over Casanova, which finished a distance last, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. Trainer M. Kropp advised that the gelding would now be retired from racing.


Race 4:

Class 1 Handicap - 1600m,
1st - Mulga Bob; 2nd - Raining Kings; 3rd - Box Seat

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Glenn Clunes: “It has been a long time between drinks for the horse. (This was Mulga Bob’s second win in thirty-two starts). Some time ago he suffered very bad interference in a race and he lost his confidence completely. He didn’t want to take any runs when they were offered for a long time after that. He was also a little bit unlucky on some occasions, but mainly it was a confidence issue. He’s always had some ability and he has been knocking at the door. In his last nine runs he’s finished in the money seven times. So he was due.
“And what a ride it was by Jana Piper. You must give that girl a mention. She couldn’t have ridden a better race. She’s just coming on so well and she’s got a bit of go in her. My word, she certainly doesn’t mind hard work. She won on a billy-goat the other day, she’s riding so well.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Box Seat (M. Heagney) over-raced in the early and middle stages. Near the 200m, Raining Kings (O. Turpin) shifted out under pressure, hampering Harold (L. Dittman).


Race 5:

Class 2 Handicap - 1400m
1st - Frisco's In Charge; 2nd - High Dee; 3rd - Falling Star

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Frank Phillips: I told him (apprentice jockey Owen Turpin) to get him out of the stalls, settle him with cover not far off the speed, and get home strong. I guess that’s what he did.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “The plan was to sit just off the speed, not worse than midfield. I told Frank (Phillips) I was always going to take an inside run as I couldn’t see us getting out. For a long time there was no run for us. I was sitting right on the bum of the horse in front of me, just inches off the heels. I thought, ‘we not going to make it’. It was only around the 50m that Joe Bowditch’s horse shifted ground slightly and gave us a gap and my horse responded really well.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Craiglea Pearl (A. Coome) jumped outwards at the start, taking Lucky Encounter (A. Spinks) out on to Ground Swell (T. Pannell). Falling Star (J. Bowditch) over-raced in the early and middle stages. When the pace slackened near the 1000m, Frisco’s In Charge (O. Turpin) improved up on to the heels of Falling Star (J. Bowditch) and had to be steadied. She’s A Model (K. Wharton), which was following, also to be steadied as a consequence and shifted out, taking Monashee Princess (J. Piper) wider on the track. Approaching the 200m, Abruptions (S. Cormack) shifted out under pressure, taking Craiglea Pearl (A. Coome) out on to Ground Swell (T. Pannell), resulting in that horse having to be steadied when taken across the heels of Monashee Princess, which had shifted in under pressure at that point. Frisco’s In Charge (O. Turpin) was held up for clear running in the straight until a point approaching the 100m. Abruptions (S. Cormack) and Ground Swell (T. Pannell) raced wide for the majority of the event. High Dee lost its off-fore plate in running.


Race 6:

Class 1 Handicap - 1200m
1st – Zabullion; 2nd - Blow The Bugle; 3rd - Waitaseq

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “They do it all the time don’t they? They roll off the fence and give me an inside run. I don’t know why they do that when the track is in good order. If they hand the inside run to me, I’ll take it every time. If it doesn’t come off you’re in trouble, but it looks real good if everything works out well, like it did here. Very pleased to win on my first ever ride for the Bruce McLachlan stable.”

With his double on the day, Turpin moved to within one win of jockey championship table leader, apprentice Jana Piper, who clung onto her lead courtesy of the win on Mulga Bob in the fourth race. Piper leads the title chase with ten wins.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Craiglea Chevy (A. Coome), which was fractious in the barriers, was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to race. Tycoon Ken (B. Calkin) over-raced in the early and middle stages. Waitaseq (M. Heagney) hung out rounding the home turn. Craiglea Chevy (A. Coome) was held up in the early stages of the home straight. Prank Caller (A. Spinks) raced wide for the majority of the event. A post-race veterinary examination of Tambo Tiger, which finished a distant last, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

FOOTNOTE:
Three of Skye Bogenhuber’s six win over a three day period were recorded at Toowoomba last Friday. While Bogenhuber took the headlines, she was merely leading the charge for the fairer sex and a group of riders who are clearly an emerging force. The gals, in fact, comprehensively outrode the guys at that Toowoomba meeting, winning six races to two. Apart from Bogenhuber, Jacqui Brown, Renee Hinricks and Amy Taylor all got on the scoreboard. Taylor also won in town again on Saturday. It was Taylor's third win in the last two city weekend meetings.