SUNSHINE COAST REVIEW (SUN, FEB 15)

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, February 15.

Race 1:

Maiden 3yo & Up Plate - 1000m
1st - Questify; 2nd - One For The Girls; 3rd - Stalwart Garza

WINNER FEEDBACK:
The Ray Dart trained Questify tracked the early frontrunners before switching out at the head of the straight and beginning her winning, forward move. The mare’s challenge was met with significant resistance by One For The Girls, who kicked in the straight and made Questify (Hirotaka Hamada) work hard for victory.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Hootson (G. Baker) was slow to begin. Beyond The Bikini (C. Spry) blundered on jumping away and lost ground. Jockey C. Spry was dislodged from Beyond The Bikini on pulling up when that horse shifted out abruptly. After being examined by the club's doctor and was found to have injured his left ankle. Jockey C. Spry was stood from his remaining engagements. Jockey C. Spry will be required to produce a medical clearance before riding again.


Race 2:

QTIS 3yo Maiden Handicap - 850m
1st - Lots Of Allure; 2nd - Triple Ay; 3rd - Nonethewiser

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Mick Mair had an anxious wait as Lots Of Allure made her way back to the winners’ enclosure. The filly had bled previously, and it is thus always going to be a worry when she pulls up after a run. All ended well.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Triple Ay (R. McMahon) was slow to begin. Dodge County (J. Wood) raced wide. Wedding Lily (M. Hughes) raced wide for the majority of the event. An inquiry was opened in to the reason for Dodge County (App. J. Wood) falling near the 450m. After taking evidence from app. Jockey M. Hughes, rider of Wedding Lily, app. Jockey O. Turpin, rider of Nonethewiser and jockey G. Baker, rider of Clayton, the inquiry was adjourned to a date to be fixed due to app jockey J. Wood being transported to hospital for further observation. A post-race veterinary examination of Dodge County failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 3:

3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1400m
1st - Golden Balls; 2nd - Croix De Fer; 3rd - Vistula Belle

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Troy Hall: “The run in town last time, which was his first run for me, was good the other day. They ran slow sectionals and he got home good. I thought he would be very hard to beat today, but we were very concerned about the heavy track. That other one was really coming at him and thought we were gone but (Damian) Browne got him over the line. I think he’ll definitely get 1600m and I’m hoping he’ll get 2000m. That’s where we are heading at this stage. Being a three-year-old, if he can get up and stay a bit, well, there’s more in it for them, you know. Yeah, thankfully, I am enjoying a nice strike-rate with new horses that have been given to me. I just hope they keep coming through the door.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Croix De Fer (G. Baker), Golden Balls (D. Browne) and Mythical (A. Erhart) were slow to begin. Danseur Pick (A. Spinks), Diamond Lane (R. Stewart) and Super Moon (J. Taylor) were all tightened for room at the start between Miss Attanagh (A. Pattillo), which shifted out, and Vistula Belle (B. El-Issa), which shifted in. Vistula Belle (B. El-Issa) raced wide in the early stages. Danseur Pick (A. Spinks) raced wide in the early and middle stages. Elton’s Son (S. Holcombe) raced wide for the majority of the event. Danseur Pick was retired from the race after leaving the 500m. A post-race veterinary examination of Danseur Pick revealed the filly to have pulled up in a distressed state. Trainer R. Milne was advised that Danseur Pick must trial to the satisfaction of the stewards in an official trial, and that he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for Danseur Pick prior to its next race start. The veterinary surgeon also reported that Super Moon had ruptured a tendon in the off foreleg. Trainer S. Dwyer was advised that he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for Super Moon prior to its next race start.


Race 4:

Class 2 Handicap - 1400m,
1st - Snackman; 2nd - Guns; 3rd -Bigger Than

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Brown: “He’s just been drawing bad alley’s mate. He’s drawn eleven, eleven, eleven. He wasn’t even going to start. I was going to scratch him, but when they got down to a field of six we decided to go around. One start he had here on a heavy track he got beaten about eighteen lengths, so it just shows you, you just got to try them on it once in a while. He was the right body-weight today. He has always been a little bit fat. He was 528kg today. That’s his winning weight.”

Jockey Christian Reith: “The trainer told me on Saturday morning that he won’t be going around because he doesn’t handle the going. He did say that when he didn’t handle it before he was a younger horse. He decided to go for it in the end. The horse certainly had a lot more confidence this time around. Today, he just ploughed through it.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Radio Star (A. Spinks) was slow to begin. Red Shadow (J. Taylor) and Snackman (C. Reith) both had a tendency to over-race in the early and middle stages.


Race 5:

Class 3 Handicap - 1000m
1st - Heartsun; 2nd - Inprivato; 3rd - Tangler

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Stewart McKinnon: “He’s taken the next step every-time and that is all we can ask of him, you know. I don’t know how far he’s going to get this prep ... whether we give him another one or not. I’ll just let the horse tell me. He is quite an easy horse to train, but he has got a bit of the Show A Heart tendency where they are just a little bit hot. It’s just in the head. He does switch off in the race very well which we’ve been trying to teach him. That’s half the battle, so it’s going well.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed when Love Hit Me became fractious in the barrier stalls and became cast. After undergoing a veterinary examination, Love Hit Me was cleared to race. Trainer T. Hall was advised that a further barrier certificate would be required for Love Hit Me prior to its next race start. Inprivato (M. Hughes) and Akoya (C. McIver) were slow to begin. A post-race veterinary examination of Akoya revealed the mare to have a small laceration to its off foreleg.


Race 6:

Class 1 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Dual Code; 2nd - Ready Asset; 3rd - Fernardi

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Bailey: “Yeah, he’s getting better and I think he’ll probably be better again after a couple of more runs. He did have a little setback there the other week. He just had a little stone bruise that popped out of his foot like they do on these wet weather, hot days. The results are good and time is not an issue with him. We’ll just take the steps as they come.”

Jockey Kelly Purdy: “It’s an up-and-coming horse. Still a little bit green. He’s been unlucky in his first couple of starts. Even though he won last star, he only got out the last bit. Today is the first time he has had an uninterrupted run and he controlled things well. He still stargazes a little bit, so he’s still going to learn and improve further.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards accepted the explanation from trainer K. Schweida for the late declaration of a rider for Top Ross. The saddle on Waitaseq shifted when proceeding to the barriers, resulting in that gelding having to be re-saddled prior to the start. Frenardi (G. Baker) began awkwardly and shifted in, making contact with Stalwart Honey (C. Reith). Ready Asset (A. Merritt), which was slow to begin, had to be steadied shortly after the start to avoid the heels of Skifort (A. Spinks), which shifted in. Top Ross (K. Pope) raced wide in the early stages. Approaching the 700m Stalwart Honey had to be steadied when the paced eased. Frenardi (G. Baker), which was following, had to be steadied as a consequence. Passing the 600m, Waitaseq (T. Chambers) shifted wider on the track to improve. Near the 500m, Frenardi (G. Baker) was held up for some distance on the heels of Isti Polly (J. Kropp). Passing the 450m, Isti Polly (J. Kropp) had to be steadied when tightened for room between Stalwart Honey and Top Brass (K. Pope), which shifted out. Leaving the 100m, Isti Polly improved up on to the heels of Stalwart Honey and had to be steadied. Near the 50m, Pull The Wool (O. Turpin) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Top Ross (K. Pope), which shifted in under pressure. Stalwart Honey raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 7:

Open Handicap - 1400m
1st - Longstreet; 2nd - Fools Rush In; 3rd - Doonan Dancer

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “He got the run of the race. The 1400m – that’s his distance. He likes that distance. The heavy going didn’t bother him. He has placed on that sort of ground. Ah, he’s just a nice old horse. I’ve had him for about twelve months. I’d have liked to have had him three or four years earlier. The hardest thing has been to find the right races for him, you know. But, like I say, he’s a nice old horse and it is good to get a result with him.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Doonan Dancer (A. Pattillo) jumped outwards at the start, making contact with Spy Zaim (G. Baker). Passing the 800m, Telegrand (M. Hughes) had to be momentarily steadied to avoid the heels of Longstreet (B. El-Issa), which shifted in. When questioned, C. Reith was unable to offer any tangible explanation for the disappointing performance of Noreil. A post-race veterinary examination of Noreil failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 8:

Class 1 Handicap - 1600m
1st - More Than Primed; 2nd - Bellamour; 3rd - Manziedear

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill (who completed a double on the day): “This is nice horse, this horse. Just a little bit light though. His problem is that there is not much of him. He is only a little fellow. That’s why we gave him some time out to try and build him up. He’s stepped up in distance every start this prep. He’s done a good job today on a bog track over a mile. He is going to get ground. He’ll go beyond the mile. He is promising.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards accepted the explanation from trainer B. Bowditch for the late declaration of rider for Fly Misty, however he was fined $100 for failing to declare a rider for Manziedear by the prescribed time. Manziedear (A. Spinks) slow to begin. More Than Primed (K. Pope) and Fly Misty (G. Baker) were tightened for room at the start between Through The Waves (O. Turpin), which shifted out, and Slepner (J. Kropp), which was taken in by So Long (A. Badger). Fly Misty over-raced from a point approaching the 1400m and continued to do so for some distance, and after leaving the 800m, improved up on to the heels of Slepner (J. Kropp) and had to be steadied. Near the 400m, Pride Of Poland (E. Wilkinson) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Fly Misty (G. Baker), which shifted out to obtain clear running. Pride Of Poland (E. Wilkinson) and So Long (A. Badger) raced wide for the majority of the event. A post-race veterinary examination of So Long, which finished tailed off, revealed the horse to be lame in the off-hind leg. Trainer M. Lloyd was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for So Long prior to its next race start.

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