DOOMBEN REVIEW (WED, FEB 18)

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Wednesday, February 18.

STEWARDS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT:
Jockey M. Bennett was fined $200 for failing to produce a medical clearance to resume riding as required.


Race 1:

2yo Maiden Handicap - 1110m
1st - Sweepstaking; 2nd - Manhattan Angel; 3rd - Fragrant Star

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gillian Heinrich: “She had a really small saddle on her. She hasn’t had one like that on before. I think that troubled her, and that was why she played up before the start. She’s not at all like that at home – she is not fractious at all - so something just disturbed her here today (on debut). She did well to turn things around and get a good result.”

Jockey Brad Stewart: “She was a little bit cantankerous going to the start. Once I got on her again and got her going she seemed to settle down a bit. She did want to get her head up a bit at one stage in the race, but she’s only having her first start, so she’ll be improving I suppose.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sweepstaking): 3.40 out to 3.80 in to 3.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fragrant Star (C. McIver) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Good Emperor (J. Bowditch) jumped outwards at the start, taking Dancingwithangels (D. Craven) out on to Our Charmaine (L. Cassidy). Near the 800m, Swell (E. Wilkinson) improved up on to the heels of Manhattan Angel (S. Scriven) and had to be steadied. At the same stage, Dancingwithangels (D. Craven), which commenced to race ungenerously, shifted out, hampering Our Charmaine. Passing the 700m, Sweepstaking (B. Stewart) improved up on to the heels of Sequalo Revenge (T. Pannell) and when being steadied shifted out, hampering Out Charmaine (L. Cassidy). Good Emperor (J. Bowditch), Dancingwithangels and Our Charmaine (L. Cassidy) raced wide throughout.


Race 2:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 1350m
1st - Local Talent; 2nd - Rogues; 3rd - Catwalk Strut

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “He’s actually owned by a trainer in Macau. Stephen Leung used to be Hong Kong trainer and then he went to Macau. I became friends with him over there and we’ve done business ever since. The horse hurt himself a little bit in the race at Doomben (in his second start, last August). Yeah, he pulled up lame and sore. So he had a fairly long spell then. Last start he just met one too good for him (Love’s A Challenge). He’s come back strong. I don’t know how far he will go. He is a strong horse. I tell you what he might do, he just might be one of those horses who can run a distance. If he can run a distance like that, you know, just bowl along in front, it might be interesting. At some stage we might try him over further.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “He is a little bit one-paced. The horse goes alright and I think he is getting better, because he’s still a little immature. I think when he gets up over ten furlongs it might suit him because he is very one-paced and there he can just role along at a nice clip.”

And the latest news on how Cassidy’s is coping with his hand injury.

“My fingers are taped today, just to give it some more support. I’m hoping it doesn’t swell up tomorrow. It’s still quite sore. If it swells up tomorrow, well I’ll think about whether I will have the week off after, because I need to get it right. Otherwise it is just going to linger. If I have the week off, I’ll ride the following Saturday. Hopefully that will be enough to get it right, because I know, with the two days, three days I’ve had off, I had it strapped the whole time and it is that much better today. Although that plan obviously depends on whether any further damage occurs today.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Local Talent): 1.30 out to 1.50.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rumpapumpum (A. Erhart), which was slow to begin, was tightened for room shortly after the start between Sweet Magic (C. McIver) and Local Talent (L. Cassidy). Near the 600m, Bilinga Bay (B. El-Issa) shifted out to improve and in doing so forced Rumpapumpum (A. Erhart) wider on the track. Rumpapumpum was then obliged to race three wide for the remainder of the event.


Race 3:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 1630m
1st - Chi Chi Grande; 2nd - Sydney Or The Bush; 3rd - Manziedear

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Miller: “She had a really bad pelvis injury as a two-year-old. It was a mystery how it happened. A lot of times in the stable a horse can kick out and somehow get its leg caught and hurt its pelvis. We can only guess how it happened. But it was a really bad injury. After a couple of years, we gave her a bit of work, but she got sore somewhere else. We turned her out and retired her. Then one day I was watching her run in the paddock and I phoned one of the part-owners. I said she is going beautiful in the paddock. I then galloped her with some other horses and decided it was worth giving her another go. She was unlucky when finishing second last time. Now she’s got the result here ... and she’ll win more races too, don’t worry about that. Probably give her a spell now and bring her back. She will run further. She is a beautifully bred mare.”

Jockey Andrew Spinks: “She got out at the right time, but I just had to wait probably a few strides before I could get right out. But once she got out she sprinted well. In the end it probably worked out good that we were held up just that little bit as the timing of her run was perfect. She got the measure of the other one pretty easily halfway down the straight, but then inside the last 100m she did have to dig deep as the other one threatened to come at her again. It is an enormous win when you consider she was never meant to race again. She’s probably looking for a spell again now, but she’s done really well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Chi Chi Grande): 2.50 steady.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Jockey B. Pengelly was fined $300 for being overweight on Princess Of Monoco. R. Wiggins was substituted as the rider of that mare. Umhlanga Rocks (G. Baker) was slow to begin. Manziedear (J. Bowditch) got its head up and had to be steadied off the heels of Sydney Or The Bush (J. Taylor) rounding the first turn. Son Of Zaha (K. Banks) raced wide throughout.
Stewards questioned G. Baker in regards to his riding of Umhlanga Rocks in the home straight. G. Baker stated that he commenced to improve rounding the home turn, however shortly after was disappointed for a run between Licorice (L. Cassidy), which was weakening, and All Join Hands (N. Thomas), which shifted out. G. Baker added that subsequent to this he was held up behind All Join Hands, which shifted ground forward of him and therefore he was unable to fully test his mount. He further added that when placed under pressure in the latter stages of the straight, Umhlanga Rocks only finished the race off fairly. The explanation was noted.


Race 4:

3yo Maiden Handicap - 1200m
1st - Charter Boat; 2nd - Indy Go Gold; 3rd - Demonstrator

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tracy Green: “I wasn’t that worried about the draw. In fact, he is probably a bit better out there. He got trapped on the fence the other day (on debut) and he over-raced really bad. So, yeah, he is probably a bit better when he has a bit of room. He was four-deep for the trip, so he has done really well. But he is a strong headed little rooster – so he’s going to get gelded now. A think he’ll end up a miler by the look of him, but he’ll go out now. Makes you feel better sending him out for a break with a win under his belt.”

Jockey Brad Pengelly: “He travelled wide from a wide barrier and he was going too keenly for me to drop back on him, so I just kept him balanced and he did the rest for me.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Charter Boat): 6.00 out to 7.00
Favourite (Demonstrator): 2.80 out to 3.80. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Monching (C. Reith) jumped away awkwardly. Sassafras Boy (L. Cassidy), which was slow to begin, was tightened for room shortly after the start between Demonstartor (S. Scriven) and Indy Go Gold (R. Wiggins), both of which shifted ground. Shortly after the start, Monching (C. Reith) shifted in and brushed Diamond Dancer (A. Pattillo). Approaching the 800m, Monching shifted out and hampered Charter Boat. Monching raced wide in the early stages. Leaving the 200m, Monching raced in restricted room for a short distance between Lady Nike (T. Pannell) and Indy Go Gold (R. Wiggins). Regal Prince (K. Banks), Diamond Dancer and Charter Boat raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 5:

F&M Class 3 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Taj Paru; 2nd - A little Dabl Doya; 3rd - Manaudou

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Allan Ross: “It’s all good. We’ll give her a blow now. We were going to scratch her because we weren’t totally comfortable about given her a bit of a quick back-up on heavy going, but we thought we’d give her a go on it. And the end of the day it’s all good, but that’s it for now. She’ll definitely go for a blow.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Tai Paru): 7.00 out to 11.00
Favourite (Manaudou): 3.00 out to 3.50 in to 3.20. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
French Move (L. Cassidy) was slow to begin. Taj Paru (B. El-Issa) laid in when placed under pressure in the straight, and approaching the 100m shifted in, inconveniencing Train Wreck (S. Seamer). A post-race veterinary examination of Smartaat, which raced wide throughout, failed to reveal an abnormality.


Race 6:

CG&E Class 3 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Aquaterra; 2nd - Telesto Warrior; 3rd - De Business

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “He is going well. He was a bit unlucky the other day. They just out-sprinted him. They walked and then out-sprinted him. Today Jason (Taylor) was awake to that possibility and he got going on him and he kept finding. I think he is going to go further, you know, and I think the further he goes the better he is going to be. He handled the going well enough today. He didn’t feature the last time he was on heavy going, but I think that was because he was at the end of his tether then. It was the end of his preparation and he just didn’t put it in. We were a little bit concerned about that but he did race on a dead track the other day and he handled it quite well, so the going was only a little bit of a concern – and when you get the number one alley, it always helps.”

Jockey Jason Taylor: “He had a nice run here. The other day he just couldn’t let down as quick as some of the others. Today I got him out, wound him up and he hit the line beautifully.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Aquaterra): 3.50 out to 3.70 in to 3.00.
Favourite (De Business): 2.60 in to 2.40 out to 2.60. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
C. Reith was examined by the club's doctor and stood down from his engagements on Diamond Pursuit and Tolart in race 8. A. Spinks and S. Scriven were substituted as the respective riders of those horses. Chaski (C. McIver) and Telesto Warrior (B. El-Issa) jumped away awkwardly. Leaving the 500m, De Business (K. Purdy) shifted out, taking Jovelon (R. Wiggins) wider on the track. Diamond Pursuit (A. Spinks) had a tendency to lay in rounding the home turn and had to be steadied away from the heels of Jovelon on several occasions in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination of Stormy Youth revealed the horse to be exhibiting an abnormal respiratory noise. Trainer B. Dodson was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for Stormy Youth, along with the results of an endoscopic examination prior to its next race start.


Race 7:

Class 4 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Dardan; 2nd - Hail Free; 3rd - Erembourg

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Bailey: “We got him from the boys in Melbourne. They said we should try him up here. He’s done well for the owner. I think he has won five up here now, so he has been a good little money-spinner for them. We couldn’t worry about the draw. There was nothing we could do about that. He (Scott Galloway) rode him well. He didn’t have a lot of pace at all and he got back, but Scott just let him run his own race and he came home strong.”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “He normally leads but he showed no pace today, so I just rode him quiet from the wide draw. I just had a nice chuck up three wide from about the 600m there. He was bolting from around the corner, so I was pretty confident that he had them covered.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Dardan): 3.40 in to 3.10 out to3.40.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Cherry Gaze (W. Clasohm) jumped away awkwardly and had to be steadied shortly after the start when tightened for room between Lord Lostock (M. Paget) and Winston (S. Scriven). Starman (C. McIver) jumped away awkwardly. Leaving the 800m, Erembourg (E. Wilkinson) improved up on to the heels of Winston and had to be steadied. Subtle Glance (R. McMahon) was held up in the early stages of the straight. Red Enzo (M. Heagney), Eternal’s Choice (C. Whiteley), Dardan (S. Galloway) and Breaking The Rules (R. Wiggins) raced three wide for the majority of the event.


Race 8:

Class 3 Handicap - 1630m
1st - Mauries Pick; 2nd - Tolart; 3rd - Drumshanbo

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Clive Sinton: “He’s going real well and Ken (Pope) rode him a treat. He rode him last time as well. We thought the horse might be ready for a spell, because he has been up a while. He has had a few short breaks in-between though, and we can’t let him have a spell when he’s getting these sort of results and while he seems to be enjoying it so much.”

Jockey Ken Pope: “I thought it would be hard to beat. I thought it was a very good effort the other day (at the Sunshine Coast). He travelled sweet all of the way, you know. One pulled out at the 600m, just in front of us, to go forward. We elected to stop and wait for it to go ... and then wait to straighten up and go ourselves. He responded like I thought he would and got the job done.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Mauries Pick): 8.00 out to 12.00
Favourite (Tolart): 2.70 out to 3.20. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Jockey J. Bowditch was fined $100 for being overweight on Bang On Broadway. M. Heagney was substituted as the rider of Bang On Broadway. Jockey B. El-Issa was examined by the club's doctor and stood down from his engagement on Jessie Street. M. Paget was substituted as the rider of that mare. Fly Misty (C. McIver) was slow to begin. Tolart (S. Scriven) and Showciti (S. Galloway) made contact on jumping away. Approaching the 1300m, Blickem (D. Green) improved up on to the heels of Frisco Darling (G. Baker) and had to be steadied. Showciti, which was following, had to be steadied in consequence. When the pace steadied approaching the 1100m, Mauries Pick (K. Pope) had to be restrained from the heels of Worthy Quest (A. Spinks) and shifted out, hampering Frisco Darling (G. Baker) and Blickem (D. Green). Near the 600m, Jessie Street (M. Paget) shifted out to improve and in doing so hampered Blickem (D. Green). Fly Misty (C. McIver) was held up and unable to improve rounding the home turn. Drumshambo (B. Evans) was obliged to race wide rounding the home turn. Leaving the 300m, Tolart (S. Scriven) shifted out around the heels of Jessie Street (M. Paget) to improve and in doing so made heavy contact with Blickem. Near the 200m, Mauries Pick (K. Pope) shifted in, inconveniencing Frisco Darling. K. Pope, rider of Mauries Pick, was advised to exercise more care in similar circumstances. Approaching the finishing line, Fly Misty was forced to race in restricted room between Jessie Street and Blickem (D. Green), which shifted in under pressure.
When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Showciti, S. Galloway stated that after being slowly away, he was obliged to position the gelding in a more rearward position than he would have liked. He further stated that Showciti travelled well in the middle stages, however added that the gelding was a big-striding horse and he was unable to secure sufficient racing room to improve his momentum leaving the 600m. This, in his opinion, had a major bearing on the disappointing performance of Showciti today.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed - All winners