SUNSHINE COAST REVIEW (SUN, NOV 30)

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, November 30.

Race 1:

Maiden Handicap 1200m
1st - Laurels; 2nd - Go Rainey; 3rd - Lee Kova

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Paul Hammersley: “Not much to report. The win was as easy as it looked. The horse just made me look good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Oculus (A. Spinks) commenced to race ungenerously leaving the 900m, and approaching the 800m had to be steadied off the heels of Colin (C. Reith), which shifted in. Go Rainey (N. Thomas), which was following, had to be steadied off the heels of Oculus as a consequence. Oculus then continued to race ungenerously for some distance. A. Spinks, rider of Oculus, reported that, in his opinion, the horse got its tongue over the bit shortly after the start which may have contributed to the horse's racing manners. Mr G. Burns, trainer of Oculus, reported that it would be his intention to experiment with gear changes to improve the racing manners of the colt. Left Hook (M. Hughes) shifted out leaving the 300m and brushed Oculus, which had to be steadied. M. Hughes, rider of Left Hook, was advised to exercise more care when shifting ground. Candyjess (J. Taylor) raced greenly in the early and middle stages.


Race 2:

QTIS 3yo Maiden Plate - 1400m
1st - Pea Eye Cee; 2nd - Le Mirage; 3rd - Grey Mark

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Paul Hammersley (who landed an early double with race to race wins, both for the Bryan Guy stable): “He looks to be a nice sort of horse. It was only his second start and he’s still learning, but he did it well today.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer R. Heathcote was fined $200, for failing to declare riders for Flash Romeo and Le Mirage by the prescribed time. One Octave Higher (M. Speers) jumped away awkwardly and shifted in, making contact with Indeseao (K. Wharton). G. Baker, rider of Justly Proud, dropped his whip near the 300m. Indeseado raced wide for the majority of the event. A post-race veterinary examination of Le Mirage failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 3:

Maiden Plate - 1600m
1st - So Long; 2nd - Elate And Excite; 3rd -Stateside

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Rob Bradshaw: “Look, in my opinion he should have won his last three starts. He got back in the running every time and charged home. I said to Todd (Pannell) that he must get him going, settle in a reasonable position and then ride him quiet and he’ll come home strong ... and that’s the way it worked out. I’ve only had him for five runs. I stepped him up to 1600m for his last three starts. He’s been showing progressive improvement and deserved this win.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mapadama (J. Bowditch) and Stateside (P. Hammersley) made contact at the start when both shifted ground. Abindah (M. Speers) shifted in shortly after the start, making contact with So Long (T. Pannell). Elate And Excite (O. Turpin) had a tendency to over-race for a short distance when being restrained near the 1200m. Fly Misty (G. Baker) shifted out near the 300m, hampering Mapadama (J. Bowditch). A short distance later, Fly Misty shifted in, inconveniencing Stateside (P. Hammersley), which then had difficulty obtaining clear running until near the 100m.


Race 4:

3yo & Up Class 1 Handicap - 1000m
1st - Brackin Road; 2nd - Pride Of Poland; 3rd - Crystal Rocket

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Jason McLachlan: “That was his first run for us. It was important to get that message through to the jockey. Either way it is a new ballgame, so when I gave the boy a leg-up I said, ‘forget about any previous form, he’s racing for us now.’ I’m pleased that we could win first time out for the owner and I’m also very pleased for the jockey. Give him a rap will you. He works so hard, he deserves some success.”

Jockey Nathan Thomas: “He was badly outpaced early and I saw no point in chasing him. Even when we came into the race I thought, ‘this is good, we’re going to run third, we’re going to finish third’ ... and then he just burst through at the right moment. 1200m will be his go for sure.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Crystal Rocket (A. Spinks), which had a tendency to lay out near the 650m, had to be checked when momentarily tightened for room by We’ve Got Issues (A. Pattillo), which shifted in. At subsequent inquiry, A. Pattillo, rider of We’ve Got Issues was severely reprimanded and advised to exercise greater care in similar circumstances. Diasco (J. Warrington) raced wide for the majority of the event.
When questioned regarding the improved performance of Brackin Road, trainer J. McLachlan stated that the gelding was having its first start for his stable and had worked and trialled well leading into today's race and an improved showing was expected. Stewards noted the explanation.
A post-race veterinary examination of Caucus revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-foreleg. Trainer J. Fleming was advised that he must provided a veterinary clearance for the gelding prior to its next trial or race start.


Race 5:

Class 2 Handicap - 1200m
1st – Blow The Bugle; 2nd - Larry's Song; 3rd - Kalinga Steel

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Troy Hall: “I told Owen (Turpin) to spear him out of the stalls and get across. I didn’t think there was much speed in the race, so I thought he should be able to do that comfortably. Once there I wanted him to give the horse a breather if possible and then kick home. The other one (Larry’s Song) did look a threat halfway up the straight, but, no, with the race run according to the way we wanted it to go, we were always going to be too strong.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “I had to really rev him early. Then, when I got across from the draw, I gathered him in again. When I let him go in the straight he was full of running. They were never going to get to my horse.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Meter Maid (Matthew Palmer) and Larry’s Song (S. Shield) over-raced in the early stages. Smart Opinion (Michael Palmer) raced wide in the early stages. Page Number (C. McIver) improved on to the heels of Kalinga Steel (A. Pattillo) and had to be steadied approaching the 800m. Kalinga Steel (A. Pattillo) had difficulty obtaining clear running from leaving the 400m and until near the 200m. Meter Maid bled during the event. Trainer T. Bailey, through his stable representative, was advised that Meter Maid would be barred from racing under the provisions of AR53A for a period of 3 months. A swab sample was taken from Meter Maid.


Race 6:

Class 4 Handicap - 1600m
1st - Cole Trickle; 2nd - Life's Short; 3rd - Chaufuhr

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Ray McCall: “He’s is the type of horse that if you let him have his own way up front during the race you will struggle to get past him in the finish, because he will fight you all the way. This is his second win in a row and in both races they looked like they were coming to get him, but he just refused to give in.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Leaving the 1100m, Chaufuhr (N. Thomas), which was over-racing, improved on to the heels of Le Celibataire (K. Pope) and had to be checked. Octahedron (A. Spinks) commenced to lay in under pressure leaving the 400m until the winning post, proving difficult to ride out.


Race 7:

Open Handicap - 1300m
1st - In Rehearsal; 2nd - Messiaen; 3rd - Lombardy

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Jason McLachlan (after the stable had landed a double on the day): “That’s a great comeback after the Cairns trip. He’s a good horse fresh and I told the kid he would get back early and be strong in the finish. The jockey (Owen Turpin) rode it a treat. He’s had two rides for us this weekend and brought home two winners so we got no complaints there.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin (who was also completing a double at the meeting): “I tried everything to get him to jump cleanly. I was keeping him ready. I was tapping the stall to keep him alert. I pushed him when we jumped and what does he do, he strolls out of the barriers. That’s apparently what he usually does. That’s why he races over more ground generally, because he usually gets too far back to be effective over the shorter trip. But he certainly has the ability and he showed here how good a horse he can be over 1300m or 1400m if things go his way.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
In Rehearsal (O. Turpin) was slow to begin. Noble Gaze (E. Wilkinson) commenced to race fiercely shortly after the start and continued to do so for some distance, and near the 700m, had to be steadied when momentarily tightened for room by Rebounded (M. Radecker), which shifted in slightly. Nearing the 200m, Malta (J. Bowditch) had to be steadied when tightened for room by King Latarmiss (K. Pope), which shifted out under pressure, and Noble Gaze (E. Wilkinson), which was tiring and shifted in. Rebounded and Secrets Untold (S. Seamer) raced wide throughout.


Race 8:

Class 1 Handicap - 1400m
1st - Yatala; 2nd - Tanzill; 3rd - Showlisa

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tony Crane: “People were bagging me for running her three weeks in a row. But she hadn’t done anything in her last two starts. She was slaughtered in her last two starts. Seriously, the riding there was a disgrace. She saw more of the outside fence than the inside rail and also had a good look at the grandstand. She just needed to be ridden well to be competitive. That happened here and we got the result.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Devils Ransom (K. Wharton) was slow to begin. The Ultimate Act (P. Hammersley) jumped away awkwardly and shifted in, making contact with Tanzill (A. Pattillo). Devils Randsom had a tendency to lay in between the 800m and 600m and as a result brushed the running rail on a number of occasions. Craiglea Falcon (C. Dixon) raced wide for the majority of the event.