GOLD COAST REVIEW (THURS, JAN 01)

The opening meeting of the New Year in South East Queensland took place in humid conditions at the Gold Coast.

Pride of place in the spotlight belonged to the Rosehill based trained Con Karakatsanis who sent out Black Piranha to win the $100 000 Goldmarket Handicap in confident fashion. Both congratulations and sympathies were extended to rider Tye Angland, whose polished performance aboard the big race winner clearly contributed to the result. The down side is that Angland now starts a suspension which rules him ineligible to ride the Clang gelding in his follow-up on Magic Millions Day.

The other runner to make a significant impression on the day was the Trevor Bailey trained Little Mel. The gelding won for the third time in just five starts and will now challenge for the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Trophy. Owner Steve Hoffmeister, who arrived in Brisbane two hours before the race, after a twenty-seven hour flight, said he would have been happy if Little Mel had finished fourth or fifth. As it was, he was ecstatic – so much so that he announced that if Little Mel did take the honours in the big race, drinks would be free for everybody at the track for one hour. Little Mel is thus ensured of a wave of support from the grandstand on Magic Millions Day.

Race 1:

3yo & up Maiden Handicap - 1300m.
1st - Lee Kova; 2nd - Brooke's Command; 3rd - Ha D' Ha Ha

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Bradshaw: “It was the extra ground that made all the difference. He’s been running over 1000m and getting back and then charging home. The extra ground was all he needed.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Lee Kova): 2.60 out to 2.70.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Acting under the provisions of AR87B(2), Stewards confiscated a vest from App. T Chambers that in their opinion was not in a satisfactory condition. Brooke’s Command (S Seamer) raced three wide for the majority of the event. Lee Kova (P Hammersley) was held up for clear running for a short distance leaving the 400m and approaching the 300m shifted out to obtain clear running and in doing so made contact with Ha D’ Ha Ha (M Paget).


Race 2:

QTIS 3yo Maiden Plate - 1400m.
1st - Frozone; 2nd - Arizona Sunset; 3rd – Flybefree

Trainer Alan Bailey: “He’s a big, overgrown fellow. I thought he would go forward, but I wasn’t worried when he got back. He is bred to stay and was always going to be running on. He’s looking for a mile.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Frozone): 1.70 in to 1.40.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Jensway (G Baker) jumped out at the start taking Hard Luck (App. L Dittman) out on to Arizona Sunset (C Whiteley) which in turn shifted out tightening the running of Frozone (G Colless) and Flash Romeo (M Paget). In this incident Flash Romeo lost its position. Approaching the 1200m Flybefree (J Bowditch) which was racing ungenerously shifted in despite the efforts of its rider tightening the running of Frozone. Flybefree continued to race ungenerously and near the 1000m improved up on to the heels of Hard Luck and had to be steadied. Frozone which was following had to be checked as a consequence and shift wider of the track. Flash Romeo was also inconvenienced in this incident. Lucky Latar (App. M Hellyer) which had a tendency to lay out throughout the event had to be steadied when momentarily tightened for room by Hard Luck near the 400m. Approaching the 300m Our Centurion (S Scriven) shifted out in an attempt to obtain clear running and in doing so made contact with Frozone on several occasions. Our Centurion was then held up for clear running until near the 200m. Stewards questioned Jockey S Scriven the rider of Our Centurion in relation to the action of his left arm when racing in close proximity to Frozone. Jockey Scriven stated that when attempting to obtain clear running near the 300m, he raised his left elbow in an attempt to gain more leverage on his near side rein to avail his mount clear running. Stewards noted his explanation and advised Jockey Scriven that he must be conscious in regards to the action of his elbow when racing in close proximity to other runners. It was reported that Arizona Sunset lost its near-hind plate in running. A post race veterinary examination of Dr Barnard (J Holder) revealed the gelding to have sustained an injury to the off-fore foot. A post race veterinary examination of Flash Romeo which compounded over the concluding stages failed to reveal any abnormality.


Race 3:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 900m.
1st - Stoner; 2nd - Eastline; 3rd - Triple Ay

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Morrisey (who saddled the quinella): “He’s been working well. I thought he would go well. Actually I thought all three of them would go well.” (Morrisey’s runners finished first, second and tenth).

Apprentice jockey Mitchell Speers: “Yeah, he still didn’t know much about it. He’s still very green. I wanted him to take a gap but he was reluctant to do that. But when I switched him out into the clear, he let down well. He let down really well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Stoner): 21 out to 31.
Favourite (Triple Ay): 4.00 out to 4.20.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
B Hill, Trainer of Directe Link, which proved difficult to load was advised that a warning would be placed on the gelding in relation to its barrier manners. Warando Street (J Holder) and Piccollo’s Gold (App. M Hellyer) were slow to begin. Sherann (M Paget) jumped away awkwardly and shifted in resulting in Exelero (A Pattillo) which was slowly away, having to be checked to avoid the heels of Eastline (C Small) which was taken out by Flyer Belle (C Spry). Sneaky Sequalo (G Colless), Gimme (C Reith) and Sherann raced wide for the majority of the event. Breeze (App. L Dittman) shifted out when placed under pressure in the straight and near the 200m hampered Gimme. A post race veterinary examination of Sneaky Sequalo revealed the colt to be suffering from moderate heat stress. A post race veterinary examination of Sherann (M Paget) revealed the filly to have a laceration to the upper gum line and abrasions to the left hind leg. After the running of this event App. L Dittman and Jockey G Colless were stood down by the club's Doctor and rider replacements were made as per Stewards' Race Day Summary.


Race 4:

Fillies and Mares Class 2 Handicap - 1400m.
1st - Pride'N'Prejudice; 2nd - Mille Miglia; 3rd - Jessie Street

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Michael Palmer: “The plan was always to tuck her in behind the speed and then see what she had to offer going to the line. She came home very well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pride’N’Prejudice): 26.00 out to 31.00.
Favourite (My Request): 2.50 out to 2.80. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Showlisa (R Wiggins) was slow to begin. Jessie Street (C Whiteley) and Pride’N’Prejudice (App. M Palmer) made contact on jumping away. Near the 900m Fly Misty (M Traecey) commenced to over-race and was obliged to shift wider on the track. Fly Misty continued to over-race when racing wide for the remainder of the event. A post race veterinary examination of Manu Paru (A Pattillo) which raced wide for the majority of the event failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 5:

Class 1 Handicap - 1000m.
1st - Meet George; 2nd - Tread Lightly; 3rd - Our Dreaming

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jason Holder: “I thought the horse won very well in his first win. (That was four runs prior to this outing). But I also believed that he’d had enough after that win, and I would have liked to have seen him spelled then. But he went on for another two starts before being put out.. He’s come back now and he’s better and stronger.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Meet George): 4.60 steady.
Favourite (King Corvette): 2.00 out to 2.50. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sweed and Meet George (J Holder) raced wide for the majority of the event. Near the 600m Our Dreaming (M Bennett) improved up on to the heels of Delcius (D Barron) and when being restrained shifted out hampering Meet George. Our Dreaming and Delcius raced wide for the remainder of the event. Near the 350m Tread Lightly (D Griffin) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Mr Sugaray (G Baker) which shifted out.
When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of King Corvette, Jockey S Scriven stated that the gelding travelled well and when placed under pressure upon straightening accelerated for a short distance before tiring over the concluding stages. Jockey Scriven further added that he was very disappointed in the gelding's performance today. A post race veterinary examination of King Corvette revealed the gelding to be mildly lame in the off-fore leg. Trainer L Birchley was advised that he must produce a veterinary certificate of fitness before King Corvette races again.


Race 6:

Class 3 Handicap - 1200m.
1st - Little Mel; 2nd - Cuban Dancer; 3rd – Liberica

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Bailey: “He’s got a chance in the Magic Millions race now. It’s not often you get the chance to race for a million dollars. The overall quality in the race probably is not as strong as it has been in some years. It could work out well. He’s got some extra days off now, and then should be ready for the 1400m."

Jockey Terry Treichel: “He started well, but he was caught wide. That didn’t bother him because he is a big horse and needs room to gallop. He took it up real well in the straight and then he started to switch off close to the finish, waiting for them to catch up. He had the blinkers on again this time. Last time he over-raced without them so they went back on here. I’ve ridden him in all of his runs at the coast. I didn’t go to town with him (for two runs) but I’m going to stick with him now.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Little Mel): 4.20 in to 3.80 out to 4.20.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The connections of Shady Prospect, Diamondsaucash and Mr Tombola will be interviewed in relation to their late scratching at 7.45 am, 7.54 am and 8.09 am respectively. Havayarn (C Whiteley) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Run The Course (App. J Jones) and Little Mel (T Treichel) raced wide for the majority of the event. Single Bound (J Holder) had a tendency to lay out when placed under pressure from a point leaving the 300m. Audubon (R Wiggins) laid in under pressure over the concluding stages of the event. It was reported that Run The Course (App. J Jones) lost its off-fore plate in running.


Race 7:

Goldmarket Handicap (Quality) (Listed) - 1300m.
1st - Black Piranha; 2nd - Woody ‘N' Buzz 3rd - Forestreno

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Con Karakatsanis: “They didn’t go that hard. I thought they were only going a moderate tempo early. From the gate, we got back three or four length further than I wanted to. Like, Tye knows him so well though, he knows what a good turn of foot he’s got. He can just be anywhere - but it’s pretty hard around here to give them ten lengths start like he was at the 500m mark.
“He has no issues. Just normal training, you know, little hiccups and this and that. He’s been a pleasure to train. There was nothing wrong at all with that run of seconds he had coming into this race. He’s just been unlucky. He’s a horse that gets back so he does need a bit of luck.”

Jockey Tye Angland: “Everything worked well. Not a lot of speed early and I got back a little more than I wanted, but I would have been three or four deep so I just come back and got in behind them. From the 600m I just slowly improved and he hit the line strong.
“Yeah, the suspension is real bad timing and it hurts, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m just thankful the owners let me have this ride knowing I can’t be on him next time.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Black Piranha): 11.00 in to 8.50
Favourite (Albert The Fat): 2.50 out to 2.80. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Albert The Fat (A Pattillo) and Rightson (D Craven) were slow to begin. Mitanni (S Scriven) and Craiglea Warrior (C Kearney) made contact on jumping away. Leaving the 1000m Woody ‘N’ Buzz (C Whiteley) had to be steadied when tightened for room between Upilio (S Galloway) which shifted out when over-racing and Forestreno (J Bowditch) which shifted in slightly. Upilio, Craiglea Warrior and Woody ‘N’ Buzz raced wide for the majority of the event. Near the 350m Mitanni shifted out in an endeavour to obtain clear running and in doing so made contact with Calchris (P Hammersley) on several occasions. Bareena (R McMahon) which was following was hampered as a consequence. Near the 200m Mitanni raced in restricted room for a short distance between Craiglea Warrior and Calchris which shifted in under pressure. Leaving the 200m Friendly Embrace (K Yoshida) which had a tendency to lay out under pressure shifted out and made contact with Quizzical lady (C Reith) on several occasions.
When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Mitanni, Jockey S Scriven stated that the gelding travelled well, however, after making contact with Calchris on several occasions near the 300m the gelding failed to respond to his riding and proved disappointing.
When questioned regarding the performance of Albert The Fat, Jockey A Pattillo stated that after beginning tardily he rode the horse quietly as instructed and approaching the home turn considered moving Albert The Fat wider on the track however, was unable to do so due to Bareena racing forward and to his outside. Jockey Pattillo stated that he then opted to urge the horse forward closer to the fence to the inside of Another Takeover (J Taylor) to secure clear running. Jockey Pattillo added that although in his opinion the ground closer to the fence was inferior, he felt his best option in the circumstances was to pursue clear running forward of him rather than having to restrain and lose ground to allow him to shift outwards to obtain clear running. He further added that Albert The Fat found the line fairly given the circumstances.
A post race veterinary examination of Upilio revealed the gelding to be suffering from a heart arrhythmia. Trainer L Birchley was advised that Upilio must trial to the satisfaction of Stewards and he must produce a veterinary certificate of fitness including the results of an ECG prior to the gelding's next race start.

Race 8:

Colts, Geldings and Entires Class 2 Handicap - 1400m.
1st - Showciti; 2nd - Sniparama; 3rd - Best Bid

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Bailey (who completed a double on the day): “He’s coming along nicely. He’s honest. I stepped him up twice into feature fields in the last year and he was found out on both occasions, but I think I might have pushed him too early into those runs because he was still a bit immature. It is a different story when set against his own class and I was happy with his performance.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Showciti): 4.00 out to 4.40
Favourite (Best Bid): 3.50 out to 3.80 in to 2.90. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed when Our Heart (App. Matthew Palmer) had to be re-saddled at the barriers. County Raider (A Pattillo) and Rocking All Right (J Taylor) were slow to begin. Near the 900m Our Heart which was over-racing improved up on to the heels of SHOWCITI which shifted in tightening the running of Rocking All Right and Sinful Warrior (P Hammersley). Near the 900m Best Bid (S Scriven) commenced to over-race and had to be steadied off the heels of Stellar Show (C Spry). A short distance later Stellar Show then commenced to over-race on the heels of County Raider and shifted out making contact with Showciti (S Galloway) which in turn shifted out and made contact with Sniparama (App. M Speers). Sniparama and Showciti raced wide for the majority of the event. Our Heart hung in under pressure in the home straight.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Horses swabbed
All winners and 2nd placegetters.