DOOMBEN REVIEW (SAT, FEB 21)

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Saturday, February 21.

Race 1:

2yo QTIS Handicap - 1200m
1st - Umanugget; 2nd - Captain Sonador; 3rd - Released

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Gentle: “I think he could have won his first start if he had drawn a barrier. He went back to third last and had to come around them in his first start in a race and he’d only had one trial. Sarge In Charge won that race and he went on to Karaka millions and run second. Sarge In Charge should have won the Karaka Millions and the second or third horse in our race, Motown Lady, ran third in the Magic Millions. So that was a very good effort. Very good form-line.
“In his second start he ran into Streets Away and there is a big wrap on that one. I think the tempo of that race in a five horse field the other day – they ran the first 600m in 37 (seconds) and ran home in 35, didn’t suit him. Also, he got through the (heavy) going there, but didn’t handle it one hundred percent. Today he handled it a lot better obviously. He has got a pretty high cruising speed once he gets going. Behind Streets Away we rode him out the barriers because of the five horse field. I think if he’d have got the same run as Streets Away he’d probably have won the race. Going into that race last start, we were going to go from there straight to Sydney for the Silver Slipper or a race like that. But, then when he got beaten, we went back to the drawing board.
“He’s got the win now so we are back on track. We haven’t finalised any plans yet. He’s still in the Slipper. We’ll go home and think about that. We’ve got a three-year-old we are trying to turn into a two-year-old and it’s only been in the last few weeks that this horse has been drilled down to be a two-year-old. He’s bred to stay. He is by Mossman and the best Mossman has been Excites. He won over a mile, 2000m and was placed in the Derby. Umanugget’s mother won two races over a mile and 2000m at Flemington. So he’s really bred to be a three-year-old and stay, so, although we are trying to turn him into a smart two-year-old, we’ll have to consider all of our options. It’s up in the air if we go down to the Slipper. If we go the Sydney but not go to the Slipper, we can go the Sires and the Champagne Stakes. If we don’t go to Sydney, we’ll probably give him one more run here and then bring him back for the winter.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed slightly due to Craiglea Bella requiring the attention of the farrier and Water Pistol having to be resaddled. Thrillseeker was examined behind the barriers and cleared to race by the veterinary surgeon. No Ransom (A. Taylor) shifted out at the start and brushed Umanugget (S. Seamer). Leaving the 900m Diehard Trying (C. Reith) shifted in and made heavy contact with Released (B. Evans), forcing that horse in on to the rails. C. Reith was reprimanded and advised to exercise more care in similar circumstances. Spinelli (Matthew Palmer), which was caught wide rounding the first turn, was obliged to race wide throughout. Captain Sonador raced three wide throughout. Near the 300m Water Pistol (O. Turpin) shifted out and brushed No Ransom (A. Taylor). Water Pistol again shifted out under pressure in the run to the finish and hampered No Ransom. Passing the 300m Craiglea Bella, when attempting a run between Thrillseeker and Diehard Trying, had to be steadied when Diehard Trying shifted ground when not fully clear. After being steadied, Craiglea Bella then shifted in and made heavy contact with Released. C. Reith, the rider of Diehard Trying, was advised to ensure he is fully clear when shifting ground.


Race 2:

Open Handicap - 2220m
1st - Fort ‘N' Won; 2nd - Take The Plea; 3rd – Fulmonti

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Matthew Dunn (foreman for the Gerald Ryan stable at Murwillumbah): “This result says a lot for the Murwillumbah track doesn’t it. We’ve had ten inches of rain in eight days down there and we haven’t missed a beat in training preparing a horse to win over 2200m. We’ve got a sand track down there that they just need to duplicate and replace all of the all-weather tracks in Australia. It’s amazing, you know. That’s the test, to get stayers ready in those conditions and, like I say, we haven’t missed a beat. The inside sand track at Murwillumbah is amazing. We’ve had three inches over night and you wouldn’t know it. You’ve got no idea. Forget the all-weather tracks. Just copy it.
“It was a good win. He was a good horse when he was young and the only difference between him now and then is that he’s lost the dash he used to have. Because of that we tried to ride him a bit closer. It worked out well. He (Matthew Palmer) rode it perfect. We took the lugging bit off and we put the Kyneton nose band on because we wanted to ride him closer. He works in that every morning. We thought if we had to give him a bit of a squeeze to get there, it can be hard to get him to come back, whereas in that nose band he comes straight back. That’s the reason we put that on.
“As a three-year-old he could have been anything this horse. He’s lost his acceleration. That’s probably the major difference between where he is now and where he was as a three-year-old. He still stays good. There’s another race for him in a fortnight. We’ll just keep chugging away.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Near the 700m Take The Plea (B. El-Issa) shifted out to improve and made heavy contact with Bell Academy (L. Cassidy). Near the 600m Fulmonti (R. McMahon) had to be steadied momentarily as Take The Plea shifted back towards the rail. On straightening Fulmonti shifted out to improve, forcing the tiring Winsome Loot (O. Turpin) out on to Bell Academy. R. McMahon, the rider of Fulmonti, was reminded of his obligation to ride his mounts right to the line and ensure that he does not leave himself open to question.
Stewards questioned trainer C. Jordan and jockey R. McMahon as to Fulmonti travelling several lengths off the second-last horse Take The Plea in the early and middle stages of the race. R. McMahon stated that the horse was reluctant to travel in the heavy going in the early stages of the race and did not seem comfortable at any stage. Trainer C. Jordan stated that he felt that the horse did not appear comfortable in the going and he was of the opinion that despite the horse running good races on wet tracks previously, on those occasions it had carried lighter weights than today. The explanation was noted.


Race 3:

3yo QTIS Handicap - 1200m
1st - Age Of Heroes; 2nd - Meet George; 3rd - Showit

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Alan Bailey: “He’s a good horse this bloke. His win at the Gold Coast the other day was fantastic. He led and they attacked him and attacked him, but he is a real little fighter. He was beaten ten times, but when they got to the line he’d beaten them by a length. He’s is a good little racehorse. He’s definitely a Winter Carnival horse and I’ll keep him here for that. We won’t go anywhere else with him. I don’t know which races we’ll go for right now. We’ll go for whatever we can win!
“You had to worry about the going today. Everybody has to worry about it when it gets this wet. This is about the wettest track you can run on. He likes the better going, but he got through it. I was worried about the going and I said to Michael (Palmer), you might have to ride him back third or fourth or somewhere so you can get to the outside and give him a good look where he ‘s going. But then he was slow out today and he got into a bit of strife and had to go back and finished up on the fence (from an outside draw). He was back third last. I didn’t think he’d get back that far. But once Michael got him out at the top of the straight, I said he’ll win now. He comes that quickly. He is a very good horse.”

Apprentice jockey Michael Palmer: “Our plan was to be up in the top four or five, but once we jumped there was a lot more pace than we anticipated. He jumped out fine, but couldn’t muster enough pace to sort of be there, so I was further back than I wanted to be. He was a bit awkward in the going. He didn’t really handle it – but he got through it. He was never really comfortable, but once he straightened up and got him out and had that one clear run at it, he knuckled down and put it in all the way to finish.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed when Mountain Brew had to be re-plated after it cast a plate. The Crusader (L. Cassidy) jumped out at the start and made contact with Hello Christmas (M. Dorrington). Sharufa (R. Stewart) also jumped out at the start and made contact with Patch’s Express (B. Evans). Mountain Brew (S. Bogenhuber), Kirra Lyn (Matthew Palmer) and Za Magic (S. Scriven) all raced wide for the majority of the event. Leaving the 900M Angelic (A. Pattillo) shifted in and away from Rapid Tricia (B. El-Issa) and cramped Sharufa, Hello Christmas and The Crusader. The Crusader then raced in restricted room and near the 800m had to be checked when racing inside of Angelic, which was taken in by Rapid Tricia. After hearing evidence from the riders, B. El-Issa, the rider of Rapid Tricia, was severely reprimanded under AR. 137(a) and instructed to provide more clearance when crossing. Patch’s Express shifted out under pressure near the 100m and brushed the hind quarters of Mountain Brew. A post-race veterinary examination of Hello Christmas failed to reveal any abnormalities. A post-race veterinary examination of Kirra Lyn revealed the filly to be suffering metabolic heat syndrome.


Race 4:

Open Handicap - 1030m
1st - Heart; 2nd - Sequallan; 3rd - Babinda Half

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice Brent Evans: “Yeah, well I knew he wouldn’t have enough speed to go with them early. We had a good alley and we were always going to be on the fence which we didn’t really want to be. We were on the back of Babinda Half and then, when he peeled off, there was only one place I could go. So I just dug up the rails and went up on the inside. One came to challenge me, but he just kept on finding.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
How Good Is He (A. Spinks) raced three wide throughout.
When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of Azzaland, jockey G. Baker stated that the horse at no stage seemed comfortable in the heavy going and had failed previously on a heavy track at the Gold Coast. Trainer R. Stephenson agreed with jockey Baker's comments and indicated that the horse would now be immediately spelled.
Stewards questioned jockey A. Spinks, the rider of How Good Is He, in relation to the riding tactics in racing three wide for the entire event. Jockey Spinks stated that his instructions were to go back, however when the pace eased passing the 800m he was caught three wide and the horse had commenced to pull and as there was no significant pace in the middle stages he was then obliged to race three wide. Trainer R. Purcell confirmed the instructions and felt that Spinks may have been a victim of circumstances given the pattern of the race.


Race 5:

Class 6 Plate (Set Weights) - 1640m
1st - Encosta Tszyu; 2nd - Shew Stone; 3rd - Humma

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “He’s a real smart horse this horse. You know, I do odd things with horses. Maybe I’ll bring him - maybe – I’ll bring him back in distance. With the confidence he’s got now to win, he’s showing me he can win 1400m ... and for the times he can run on a good track, you know, I’ve got to look at that and say maybe he is a Stradbroke horse. It might seem silly to say that and then say that the following year I might take him up in distance. I’m not sure yet, but I’ve got options. When I get feelings, I just leave it open.
“The owners have given me a free hand with the horse. He’s a lovely type. When I went out in the paddock. I said, yeah I’ll train him, I’ll win a Stradbroke with him. He is a very smart horse, but you have got to be careful with these horses when they are big and built like he is. He is a sprinter-miler, you know what I mean. If they go along quick on a good track, he’ll track up and he’ll sprint over the top of them. Even when he was gone in the ground today – incidentally, I will not run him on a heavy track again, because I don’t want to ask him to do something he can’t do – even when he looked gone today, he was really trying for me. Once he got off the bit he wasn’t handling it, but he dug deep. That’s what I’ve train him for and everything I’ve done for this horse is to get him to hit the line.
“With the whole of my team, you know I’m doing very nicely because of one reason – Scotty Galloway and the other riders, they are understanding me and they are riding my horses the way I want them to be ridden. I’m just so happy with Scott. You know, he rode Double Or Nothing to three city wins in a row for me from wide draws. The bloke rode for Hawkes all of that time. He is a champion rider unrecognised. Really, a champion rider unrecognised. I’m blessed that he understands me. He comes up and rides work and he understands what I want. It’s great.
”The horse might go out now, but I’m not certain. I’ve got a little secret place where I put them, but I’ll keep that under my hat.”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “From the awkward alley we had to go back and they were walking so I was really concerned. At about the 1100m a couple of horses in front of me pulled hard and shifted out so I was able to get up in behind the leader and that won me the race, you know. From there he just had to finish of well, which he did.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Tripitz (B. Evans) was slow to jump. In Phuket (A. Taylor) faltered on jumping away. Shortly after the start In Phuket commenced to over-race and near the 1400m had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Humma (J. Bowditch) which was taken in by Punch Up (J. Taylor). In Phuket then commenced to hang out and passing the 1200m, when over-racing, shifted out forcing Tripitz wider on the track. In Phuket then raced wide for the remainder of the event.
Stewards questioned jockey J. Taylor, the rider of Punch Up, as to his reason for allowing Humma to assume a position outside the leader after leaving the 800m. J. Taylor stated that Punch Up had relaxed when racing outside the leader racing down the back straight, however as a result of the slow pace approaching the 800m, his mount got its head up on at least two occasions and at this point Humma went forward three wide and sprinted quickly. He stated that Punch Up could not sprint with Humma and as a consequence he elected to allow it to cross and trail it forward, however his mount could not maintain its position and only finished the race off fairly. J. Taylor's explanation was noted.
Apprentice Michael Palmer, the rider of Shuffle The Cash, was reprimanded under AR. 137A for using his whip excessively.


Race 6:

4yo and Up Class 6 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Public Nuisance; 2nd - Lucidly; 3rd - More Than Regal

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Louise White: “That’s two out of two for me as a trainer. I’ve been so lucky. Heather (Burgess - who trained the horse when he scored the first success in his current winning sequence) wanted to finish training. I’m friends with her and she trusted me to take the horse over. The horse is a marvel. So easy to train. He loves his work, loves his feed. He’s brilliant ... and he keeps himself happy too. He amuses himself by doing very silly things in the box. He is an absolute pleasure to train.”

Jockey Scott Galloway (who completed a double on the day): “He’s come back a better horse this time in. He has thickened out a bit and just got stronger. He travelled nice. It took him a little while to pick up the leader, but from the 150m I sort of had him covered.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Perugin Thought (B. Stewart) sprung a plate travelling to the barriers and required the attention of the farrier. More Than Regal (S. Seamer) jumped awkwardly and missed the start. More Than Regal and Mr Doyle (S. Scriven) brushed just past the winning post.


Race 7:

Open Handicap - 1350m
1st - Striking Victory; 2nd - Rightson; 3rd - Watchyerback

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Squaire: “I got a bit of flak for starting him first-up over a mile last time. But I had to do it because there were no races for him. He’d had a virus before that. A bad virus and I had to give him a good break (for nearly four months), but he’d come back strong and needed to run. Today, he had 53kg on his back. I don’t think he’s carried that since he was a foal. I didn’t worry about the barrier (the widest runner) because the horse has got pace. I honestly thought he had a good chance today."

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans (who completed a double on the day): “Yeah, I’ve only had four winners in town and they’ve both come in doubles. I was always going to go forward and be in the first four. I fired him up out of the gates and I found myself in front. I give him a breather once I got there. Then Larry (Cassidy – on Rightson) come up outside me. The old horse just fought on well. He never had that weight on his back for a long, long time. I didn’t think I would get to the other one when he went away from us. But I just put the whip away and kept riding him and he fought on.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Foolish (A. Pattillo) jumped away awkwardly and missed the start. Slim Pickings (J. Taylor), which jumped away awkwardly, was tightened shortly after the start between Angelo Minny (R. McMahon) and Secrets Untold (B. El-Issa), which jumped inwards.
Jockey R. McMahon, the rider of Angelo Minny, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under AR. 137(a), the careless riding being that near the 1200m he permitted his mount to shift in when not sufficiently clear of Slim Pickings, resulting in Slim Pickings being taken in on to Hello Possums (A. Taylor), which was taken in on to Ice Chariot (P. Wolfgram), which had to be checked. R. McMahon's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 meetings, with the term of suspension to commence at midnight on Saturday, 21 February, and to expire at midnight on Saturday, 7 March 2009.
Masai Pride (C. McIver) and Secrets Untold raced wide for the majority of the event. Slim Pickings was momentarily held up rounding the home turn on the heels of Masai Pride. Watchyerback (S. Galloway) shifted out abruptly off the heels of Rightson (L. Cassidy) on the finish line.


Race 8:

NMW Handicap - 1350m
1st - Power Express; 2nd - Cool Edition; 3rd - Pertinence

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Andrew Spinks: “I didn’t know about the fall until Larry (Cassidy) came up to me when I passed the crossing and he said there’s been a fall. My horse settled nicely. It took a bit of getting to the front. (Trainer) Bob (Purcell) wanted him to either lead or, if something led, to sit off them – to be up there. But if I had have sat off something, I would have been about three or four wide so I just went to the front. He settled nice. I didn’t sort of touch him until we really straightened up and then he kicked going down off the hill. On wet tracks you can get away with things. If you get a big enough break on them they can struggle to pick you up.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Bernado (Matthew Palmer) was tightened on jumping away between Jachaze (B. Evans) and Power Express (A. Spinks), which shifted in. Shortly after being tightened Bernado blundered at the heels of Power Express. Yukon Lad (A. Pattillo) jumped awkwardly. Mataranka (B. El-Issa), which was caught four deep on the first turn, was obliged to race wide for the remainder of the event.
Stewards intended to open an inquiry into the reason for Mataranka (B. El-Issa) suffering interference on the home turn. After hearing submissions from all parties, the inquiry was adjourned to one hour before the first race on Wednesday, 25 February, unless otherwise amended, to enable apprentice B. Evans to have representation.
Near the 300m Icedane (S. Drake), which was full of running, fell when jockey S. Drake attempted to position her mount into a run between Cuban Dancer (S. Seamer) and Shudule Gee (L. Rolls) where there was not fully sufficient room and as a consequence Icedane made contact with the hind quarters of Shudule Gee and fell. After taking into account the circumstances, direct blame was not attributed to any particular rider. However, S. Drake was given the benefit of the doubt as to whether her actions were careless in the circumstances. When Icedane fell Yukon Lad, Fissile (J. Taylor), Magique Mine (J. Bowditch) and Go The Red (C. Reith) were all checked to varying degrees.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed pre-race:
Lucidly, Public Nuisance, Watchyerback, Slim Pickings, Yukon Lad, Pertinence, Perugin Thought, Punch Up, Za Magic, Mountain Brew, Encosta Tszyu, How Good Is He.
Horses swabbed post-race:
All winners and 2nd placegetters in Races 1 to 4, 6.