EAGLE FARM REVIEW (SAT, FEB 14)

A review of the meeting held at Eagle Farm on Saturday, February 14.

Race 1:

QTIS 2yo Handicap - 1000m
1st - Bob And Dolly; 2nd - Neeson; 3rd - Easy Knight

Co-trainer Jason McLachlan: “We thought it was an enormous run last time (on debut). He just got a bit lost first start in a race. He has just gone ahead in leaps and bounds. We were just desperate to try to find a 1200m race for him, but we couldn’t. The wet track’s brought them back to him and he finished hard. He is a very strong horse. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a very nice horse further down the track.”

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson: “From the jump the horse was on one rein and it was hanging out the whole way. He hang out badly in the straight. Over the final hundred metres, it was just sort of do or die, so I just let him do his own thing. I went for him and he was too strong. He is a real nice horse. It was only his second start and he is obviously still learning. I don’t know why he was hanging like that, but we’ll work him out. He handled the going alright. At the top of the straight, just before the straight, there was a patch he hit where he scrambled a bit, but he got through that. Other than that he went through it pretty good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Bob And Dolly (E. Wilkinson) blundered on jumping away. Neeson (P. Wolfgram) shifted in and made contact with Easy Knight (B. Evans) on jumping away. Bob And Dolly shifted out under pressure over the concluding stages. The Club's veterinary surgeon reported that Perfect Option (C. Spry) sustained a small laceration to the front of the off-hind coronet.


Race 2:

Class 6 Handicap - 1000m
1st - Tisani Boy; 2nd - Admiral Gherkin; 3rd - Sir Monashee

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Lindsay Hatch: “He’s is a lovely horse. He proved he’s got a touch of class. It was a super win. I think he’s got a great future. He is going to win a big race for sure. He’s probably not even suited over 1000m. He probably wants a lot further, you know. He is a 1200m ... 1400m horse. I think he is a serious horse. He didn’t seem to handle the going today yet still produced the win. He has got his problems. He got bruised heels – bad feet. We just ice them. Brett (Evans) does a lot of work on him, icing him and so forth. ”

Hatch will be leaving Toowoomba on March 1 and moving to Wadham Park, a 200 acre facility which is located in the Gold Coast hinterland on the outskirts of Canungra.

Hatch: “It’s just a great opportunity to get a better class of horse and a better owner. A lot of owners ring up and say they are interested in getting horses to train and they won’t have them trained in Toowoomba for one reason or other. The move has been in the mix for six to eight months and I just think it is a great opportunity.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans: “Oh mate, I don’t think he knew what he was doing early. The first fifty yards he had no idea in the heavy going. I just kept a hold of his head and rode him and kept him as close as I could while keeping him happy enough back there. Then when I asked him to go he responded well and did a good job. I do know the horse well. I work with him all the time and do his feet every morning.”

Brent Evans is apprenticed to the Lindsay Hatch stable. He transferred there from Brett Kavanagh and he has enjoyed eye-catching success since arriving in Toowoomba where he currently has a clear-cut lead in the Toowoomba Jockey’s Premiership.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
No incidents.


Race 3:

1MW Handicap - 1800m
1st - Malela; 2nd - Kings Artist; 3rd - Ostras

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kevin Kemp: “It’s the fourth Saturday in a row that we’ve had a winner in Brisbane. That is just unbelievable. I hope I’ve got something in the stable I can bring down here next week. Just when you’re hot, you got to try to stay hot. This one will also be going to Sydney (with Dance Girl Dance). I didn’t want to say she was definitely going before the race, because when you say they’re definitely going, they run last. I hope Ric (McMahon) will ride them. We’ll ask him.”

Jockey Ric McMahon: “I was sort of happy to drop off the speed at one stage. Look, the leader Ostras, it runs along, but it hasn’t been racing real well so I knew it would come back to me. So I let him go. I knew I had a lot of horse under me. I was pretty lucky actually because the two in front of me, they chased it a little bit. When they chased from the half mile it was too hot for me, I just travelled up and I got her on the bit, you know. As soon as I asked her to just get a little bit closer she kept up picking up good. The way she made up ground so quickly was bit of a combination of her improving and the others stopping. I was never worried about moving up inside horses at the top of the straight. I was still four or five off the fence. I never moved ... I never hit her until inside the furlong, because I knew I pretty much had it. She handled the going well. Yeah, I probably will go to Sydney with Kevin’s two horses.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Malela (R. McMahon) and Riseupsinging (E. Wilkinson) made contact on jumping away.


Race 4:

3yo Handicap - 1400m
1st - High Roll'n Woman; 2nd - Phebetay; 3rd - Star Of Ombra

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “They asked if I could put her in just behind the pace ... sort of sit third or fourth. I ended up sitting fifth or sixth. I got back more than I wanted. That was because they went quite hard in front and also because of the heavy going. My horse didn’t quite handle it. Yet she still managed to win through having a bit of heart, you know. I saved her all up until the furlong and then asked her to go and she toughed it out real good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer R. Heathcote was fined $100 under LR. 70 for failing to declare R. Stewart as the rider of Star Of Ombre by the prescribed time. Stewards accepted the explanation of trainer K. Schweida for the late declaration of B. El-Issa as the rider of Upgrading. Universal Brave (C. Reith) was slow to begin. Castiglione Kid (R. Wiggins) jumped out at the start making contact with Zsazsa (D. Craven). Universal Brave and Kbenrenrun (L. Cassidy) over-raced in the early stages. Near the 800m Castliglione Kid and Universal Brave made contact. Universal Brave and Castiglione Kid raced wide for the majority of the event. Approaching the 400m Zsazsa shifted out in an endeavour to obtain clear running and in doing so made contact with Universal Brave on several occasions. Professor (A. Pattillo) was inclined to lay in when placed under pressure in the home straight. A post-race veterinary examination of Kbenrenrun revealed a laceration inside the cheek on the off side.


Race 5:

Open Handicap - 1600m
1st - Sam's Express; 2nd - Rebounded; 3rd - Onalar

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Michael Nolan: “He’s just been unlucky this horse. He always gets cluttered up. You have a look at his form. His first run up he was wide (from an eleven draw). Next run at Doomben he never got out and then his last run he never got out. He is a real honest horse, but things just haven’t gone his way. The extra ground did help, because the mile (which he got here) and further is his best distance.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans (who completed a double on the day): “It was a great battle actually. I just bounced him out of the gates and I was always going to sit second to Rebounded. I got a nice run there. Rebounded was just pulling a bit during the race. I just got a beautiful run. He relaxed. Shifted up a bit closer at the 600m. Then I just waited, waited, waited until well in the straight. I made my move and we went up there and headed him (Rebounded). My horse fought well. He dug deep. I’ve never rode a city winner before. Today’s my first – and now it’s a double.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Onalar (S. Scriven) was slow to begin. Tariki (P. Gesler) raced wide for the majority of the event. Rebounded (Michael Palmer) and Sam’s Express (B. Evans) bumped at the 100m. When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Pentacity, jockey J. Taylor stated that he felt the mare travelled well during running, however when placed under pressure failed to stretch out and in his opinion failed to handle the prevailing track conditions. J. Taylor added that although the mare had won on a rain-affected track it was only against maiden company on that occasion. The explanation was noted.


Race 6:

1MW Handicap - 1200m
1st - Abbacina; 2nd - Sir Teles; 3rd - Bazzooka

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Larry Cassidy (who is carrying a hand injury): “I really am suffering. It’s way more sore than the other day. The swelling has come down, but it’s still incredibly painful. I was very happy because I brought the swelling right down. Even though I thought it would be sore, I didn’t think it would anywhere as sore as it is. I had a scan and the ligaments are intact. They are not pulled away from the bone. So they are intact, but there is an incredible amount of fluid around the joint. So the ligaments aren’t torn, but they said I’ll need two weeks for the injury to heal. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I’ve got very good rides Wednesday. I could probably ride a treble on Wednesday. I’ll just have to see how I pull up after this.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Base Dancer (E. Wilkinson) over-raced in the early stages and when being restrained near the 800m got its head up and raced ungenerously. J. Atkins, the trainer of Bazzooka, which bled from both nostrils during the event, was advised that the horse would be barred from racing for a period of three months under the provisions of AR. 53A. A swab sample was taken from Bazzooka.


Race 7:

Quality Handicap - 1200m
1st - Vocalic; 2nd - Momentously; 3rd - Sommersea Drive

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Ron Maund: “He likes the Eagle Farm 1200m, and he doesn’t seem to mind it soft , even though I think the Semipalatinsk side, with Telitina, (the damline influence) stops him a little. That’s where he hovered halfway up the straight. He seemed to mark time a bit for a while there. Yeah, he’s a bit of a track specialist. Most of his city wins, I think all of his city wins, have been here at Eagle Farm. It takes a good horse to win six at Eagle Farm and I think he has sailed past $400 000 in stakes now.”

Jockey Ric McMahon (who completed a double on the day): “He is a lovely horse. Does everything right. Jumps good. Travelled well. Then, they steadied. From the 600m he just grabbed the bit and he towed me into it, you know. I pretty much didn’t have to do anything. He pretty much did it for me. He just travelled so well and then I let him down. Because they went so slow up till then, they sprinted pretty good. I was always going to get there, it just took a little bit longer than I thought. He half laboured for a little bit there, he changed strides, but then the over the last 100m he knuckled down again and he hit the line good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sneaky Long (R. Wiggins) jumped away awkwardly and shifted in making contact with Watchyerback (C. Reith). Sommersea Drive (K. Pope) had a tendency to lay out throughout the event. When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Crosswise, jockey J. Bowditch stated that the horse travelled only fairly in the early and middle stages and when asked for an effort to improve near the 700m was under pressure and did not finish the race off as expected. A post-race veterinary examination of Crosswise failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 8:

4yo and up Class 6 Handicap - 1400m
1st - Yass River; 2nd - Dawn's Pride; 3rd - Manic Monday

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Shane Scriven: “Yeah, mate. There was a few of them coming. I struggled to get to the leader. No sooner got to the leader and John’s other old horse (Red Sphere – which is also trained by John Morrisey) put up a hell of a fight. My bloke really had to dig deep, but to his credit he did and he got there in the end. It was a good tough win.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Dartbolt (R. Wiggins) jumped awkwardly and missed the start. Near the 1200m Dartbolt improved on to the heels of Bann Ruby (J. Bowditch) and had to be steadied. The Club's veterinary surgeon reported that Dawn’s Pride was found to be suffering heat stress following the event.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:

Horses swabbed pre-race:
Western Warrior, Hearty Laughter, Phebetay, Kings Artist, Ostras, Cajun Moon, Dartbolt, Bann Ruby, Red Sphere, Honour Happy List, Tariki, Onalar.

Horses swabbed post-race
All winners, 2nd placegetters in Races 1, 3, 4 and 8, and Bazzooka.