DOOMBEN REVIEW (THURS, NOV 6)

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Thursday, November 6.

Race 1:

Maiden Plate - 1630m
1st - Sharing The Magic; 2nd - Arcangela; 3rd - Smartness

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “The ground helped for sure, but it’s really all about finding the right race for any horse. This turned out to be his race. He’s been running at the Sunshine Coast in big fields. The track here, a smaller field, the conditions – it was a quite different mix. Turned out it suited him to a tee.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “That went exactly to plan. That’s why I get paid the big dollars. The opposition was only ordinary and he always had two lengths on them.”

The win was good timing for some, bad timing for others. Sharing The Magic had eight owners three runs back but, after failing to get past first base after ten runs, seven owners decided to sack the horse. They were bought out by the remaining owner, Bruce Harry.

Owner Bruce Harry: “I can’t say I saw anything in the horse particularly, but I thought I’m in it now, I’ll stick with it. I was quite happy to keep it as a horse to ride when it was finished. This is a nice bonus.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sharing The Magic (S. Scriven) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out, brushing the hind quarters of Affidavit (S. Galloway). Smartness (S. Cormack) was inclined to shift out under pressure over the concluding stages. Stewards questioned S. Cormack as to his riding tactics on Smartness, in particular racing 3 wide for the majority of the race. S. Cormack stated he was not given any specific instructions other than to endeavour to have Smartness positioned with cover. He stated that rounding the first turn he was caught wide and as his mount was inclined to travel keenly, he endeavoured to try and get the mare to relax despite being caught 3 wide. He added that he did not push forward to race outside the leader as he was intent on having his mount relax rather than over-race and was also concerned that should he make use of the filly, it may not see out the distance of the race. The explanation was noted. A post-race veterinary examination of Mary’s Halo revealed the mare to have been galloped on the off-foreleg. Following this event, the track was upgraded to Slow 6.


Race 2:

Maiden Handicap - 1020m
1st - Vanqualo; 2nd - Zeljko; 3rd - Beyond The Limit

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley (clearly chuffed with the time recorded by his winner): “Look he’s been working well and I knew he would be competitive. But to run that sort of time on debut exceeded my expectations.”

Vanqualo set a new class record, stopping the clock in the smart time of 59.17 seconds. The previous class record of 59.64 seconds (established in October 2005) had stood behind the name of Vital Statistic.

This was apprentice jockey Chris McIver’s second winner in as many meetings. McIver won on Condoleezza at Ipswich on Wednesday.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Beyond The Limit (S. Scriven) jumped in the air as the gates were released and missed the start. Burn So Cool (A. Spinks) hung out rounding the first turn and in the middle stages.


Race 3:

3yo Maiden Handicap- 1350m
1st - Craiglea Falcon; 2nd - Social Cat; 3rd - Shot Bar

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Fleming: “He’s had three runs down here. (Craiglea Falcon’s first two career runs were in Rockhampton). The first run was after a spell and it was too short for him. Also he kept running into dead-end after dead-end. The second run at the Sunshine Coast was more like it. (The gelding finished second). Then last time he was ridden wrong. He hit the front too early.
“He couldn’t have left it any later this time. I thought we were alright until Adrian (Coome) had his whip knocked out of his hand just as he was going for it. Thankfully the horse rallied anyway and just got there.”

Jockey Adrian Coome: “I went for my whip at about the 150m and it was knocked clean out of my hand by Kelvin Wharton on my inside. I didn’t become unbalanced or anything like that, but all I could do was push with my hands. The horse kept responding and got up.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Social Cat (M. Radecker) and Molly Jo (J. Byrne) both jumped away awkwardly. Near the 250m, Social Cat (M. Radecker) was momentarily steadied when taking a run between Shot Bar (B. Pengelly), which shifted out slightly, and Pea Eye Cee (P. Hammersley), which shifted in. At the 200m, Craiglea Falcon (A. Coome) shifted out to improve and brushed Molly Jo (J. Byrne). Molly Jo was then inclined to lay out over the concluding stages. A. Coome, rider of Craiglea Falcon, dropped his whip near the 100m. Near the 100m, Social Cat (M. Radecker) was inclined to lay out, taking Pea Eye Cee out on to Chadwick (K. Wharton), which had to be steadied. Following this event, the track rating was upgraded to Dead 5.


Race 4:

Class 5 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Go Sequalo; 2nd - Beartracker; 3rd - Seen'em Comin'

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “Third run back, given more ground ... I’m just happy his winning again.”

Go Sequalo, who races for the same connections who own Simplest and Burdekin Blues, gave jockey Shane Scriven a double at the meeting, which came on top of the double Scriven had ridden at Ipswich twenty-four hours earlier.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Crystal Sentinel (J. Taylor) jumped away awkwardly. Go Sequalo (S. Scriven) and Albarista (Matthew Palmer) were both a little slow to begin. Trainer M. Mair reported that Crystal Sentinel, which proved disappointing, would now be sent for a spell.


Race 5:

Class 3 Plate (Set weights) - 2030m
1st - Dawns Queen; 2nd - A Grade; 3rd - Another Speights

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Sean Cormack: “She’s a pretty laid back mare. All I tried to do was settle her, but at the same time I was aware that she needed to be not that far off the speed. We got a lovely run and when I switched her out into daylight she finished off really well.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Strawberry Ripple reared in the barriers on 2 occasions, dislodging S. Galloway. Strawberry Ripple then broke through the barriers and following advice from the veterinary surgeon, Dr Lenz, the mare was withdrawn at 2.59 pm. Barako and Dawns Queen, which were in adjoining stalls, were examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to race. Trainer B Smith indicated that the horse would now be spelled and stewards ordered that he would be required to produce a further barrier test certificate for Strawberry Ripple prior to its next race start. Bold Distinction (C. McIver) and Barako (P. Hammersley) jumped away awkwardly and missed the start. Tact (A. Taylor) shifted out shortly after the start.


Race 6:

Class 5 Handicap - 1630m
1st - Defend The Hill; 2nd - Southerly Impact; 3rd - Our Lukas

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Is this a prime example of a late-developer or are there other reasons for the fact that Defend The Hill has come into his own as a seven-year-old, winning four of his last five starts when his overall record is six wins from twenty-seven starts?

Trainer Brad Maidment: “He’s had real issues. Cracked sesamoids, chipped knees ... and it’s an on-going process. Treatment and time, that’s what it has been all about. Things like applying poultices then seeing how he comes through that. It happens all of the time. There is no let-up. He requires on-going treatment. Really needs to be looked after.
“We got him right for the day, then the jockey had an accident in training early this morning and nearly missed the ride. I’m really pleased for Don (Barron) that he came through. He gets on so well with this horse and he deserved his chance in the city.”

Jockey Donald Barron: “Yeah, I nearly missed out. I came off a horse in work this morning. He ducked out at the gap and I fell off on the rail. I got a haematoma on my shin and some bruising all the way up my thigh. When I came off, I thought there goes my ride today, but the more I looked at the form, the more I thought I can’t miss this one. (Defend The Hill had won three of his last four starts, all with Barron in the saddle). I was lucky I only had one ride. I could cope with that.
“There was no speed in the race, so he had it pretty easy. He has got a turn of foot and I knew if they let him run his own race early, they would struggle to get to him in the straight.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After riding in race 5, J. Bowditch was examined by the club's doctor and stood down from his remaining engagements in races 6, 7 and 8. Correct weight was delayed to enable jockey S. Scriven to view the stewards' footage of the start as he was concerned he was denied a fair start on Our Lukas. After viewing the film of the start, stewards were satisfied that the horse was afforded the opportunity to jump with the field despite being fractious in the barriers, and acting under AR134A, as Our Lukas finished 3rd, stewards declared correct weight on the Judge's placings.
Our Lukas (S. Scriven), which had been fractious in the barriers, missed the start. Soon after the start, Wings Of Seraph was inclined to lay in on to the heels of Brief Me (S. Cormack) and had to be checked. Our Lukas (S. Scriven), which was following, had to be eased to avoid the heels of Wings Of Seraph. Wings Of Seraph was inclined to race fiercely around the first turn. Passing the 800m, Latin Idol (A. Spinks) got its head up and raced ungenerously for a short distance after it improved on to the heels of Southern Impact (R. Goltz). Southern Impact was held up for some distance rounding the home turn behind the heels of Falzig and was unable to obtain clear running until shortly after straightening. Following this event, the track rating was upgraded to Dead 4 at 4.12 pm.


Race 7:

Class 3 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Pyramids; 2nd - Raffael Nediym; 3rd - Scudder

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Matthew Dunn (Foreman for the newly established Gerald Ryan stables at Murwillumbah): “We’ve been there about a month now. I agree it’s an interesting choice of location but it serves our purpose well, being able to tackle the Northern Rivers or travel to the Gold Coast or Brisbane without any fuss. We’ve got ten horses in training there at the moment. I expect that figure to pick up to about twenty to twenty-five horses.
“Matthew Palmer is on both of our horses today. We don’t have any formal arrangement with any jockey as yet. Matthew was keen enough to come down and ride work the other day. He wasn’t that far behind the top boys when he was in Sydney and we’d probably steer his way if we can. I think he kill them all up here once he gets going.”

Apprentice jockey Matthew Palmer: “We were always going to get back, but then I got caught a bit wide so I had to go a bit earlier than I would have liked, otherwise they might have gone away from him. He had to work all the way from the 600m to the finishing line. He’s got a brilliant turn of foot and he let down sensationally to put us right in the race and then get the result.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Pyramids (M. Palmer) jumped inwards at the start and brushed Raffael Nediym (C. Reith). Ben’s The Boss (S. Scriven) also jumped inwards at the start and made heavy contact with the hind quarters of Alpha Boy.


Race 8:

F&M Class 3 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Savanna La Mar; 2nd - Morgalicious; 3rd - Guissepino

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “We seemed to have worked him out at last. He’s last two runs have been encouraging. It’s taken a while.”

Jockey Paul Hammersley (who continues to ride winners on a regular basis): “I pulled her out at the top of the straight and she had to work home all the way. She was a bit unlucky last time. She struck a bit of trouble but still ran second. I made certain I took her to the outside where she had a clear run this time.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Simian Express was declared a late scratching at 3.11 pm after the mare injured itself when being loaded on to the float to be transported to the course. The start was delayed slightly when Guissepino (C. McIver), which was fractious in the barriers, sprung the gates open. Work The Body (M. Palmer) jumped inwards at the start and made contact with Morgalicious (D. Craven), forcing it out on to Guissepino, which jumped away awkwardly. Leaving the 700m, Savanna La Mar (P. Hammersley) had to be steadied after improving on to the heels of Morgalicious.