SUNSHINE COAST REVIEW (SUN, FEB 22)

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, February 22.

STEWARDS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT:
Training partnership Messrs B. and J. McLachlan pleaded guilty to a charge under LR43, in that Jo Borg, Ron Hansen and Bronwyn Latcham were all employed at their stable facility on the morning of 3 February when unlicensed. The training partnership of B & J. McLachlan was fined the sum of $300. In assessing penalty, stewards took into account the exemplary record of this training partnership.
Trainer Mr M. Mair pleaded guilty to a charge under LR43 in that Ms Sharron Jolly was employed at his stage facility on 3 February when unlicensed. Mr Mair was fined the sum of $100. In assessing penalty, stewards took into account Mr Mair's unblemished record regarding this rule.


Race 1:

Class 1 Handicap - 2000m
1st - Brilliant Ween; 2nd - Fantastic Carat; 3rd - Lion Blanc

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Paul Facoory: “When he’s on the track he is ready to race. But prior to being saddled and everything else, like when you try and saddle him, he’s a bit of a maniac. Maybe it is the adrenaline started to flow. Look at him now (as the horse was returning to scale). Look at him throwing his head up now ...and there again. But he has put two-in-a-row together now so there’s not much wrong with the way he is going on the track.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “He was quite worked up. He was already hot and sweaty beforehand so I just took him around with the pony. I didn’t give him much of a warm-up because he was already pretty warm. I just tried to reserve him that little bit more today (last time, at Ipswich, Brilliant Ween raced away to a sizeable early lead) because he was quite wound up already. But the difference today was I had a horse come up outside me at the 500m and I slapped my horse, just to start get it rolling, you know. I had a few looks and I knew I had them off the bit a little bit ... not right off the bit like the other day, but I knew Ihad things going in my favour. When we were travelling well at the 200m I was confident we had it won.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT: Crocodile Lass (B. Evans) jumped away awkwardly, making contact with Lion Blanc (E. Wilkinson), which had been slow to begin.


Race 2:

3yo & Up CG&E Maiden Handicap - 1100m
1st - Cheapskaterubi; 2nd - Maali; 3rd - Gold Land

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer David Peoples: “I’ve battled with him a little bit. He has had leg problems and we have sort of just keep patching him up all the time. They went fairly fast early today which helped us. I wanted him up there, but I said to Owen (Turpin) if they go fast early, he’ll settle for you. That’s how it panned out and Owen rode a good race.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin: “The race form showed there wasn’t a whole lot of pace in the race. There was a couple that had a little bit of pace, but nothing quite like we imagined, because they did jump and go quite fast. I just took a backward seat. When we came to the 500m I just allowed my horse to roll forward and just pop out one. I had the opportunity to pop out one and sit three wide as we hit the corner and give him a clear run all the way home. Then it was up to him. I think the frontrunners might have went a bit too hard and I was happy to sit where I was. Just that last 100m they sort of hit the wall and I I kept coming. That was it.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Cheapskaterubi (O. Turpin) jumped away awkwardly, making contact with Grillita’s Secret (M. Hughes), which was slow to begin. All Kiwi (A. Merritt), Icerullah (J. Bowditch) and Comeonwillie (N. Thomas) were all tightened for room at the start between Gold Land (M. Heagney), which shifted out, and Maali (B. Payne), which shifted in after jumping away awkwardly. All Kiwi lost its position as a result. Approaching the 800m, Maali (B. Payne) was forced to steady to avoid the heels of Top Resource (R. Stewart), which shifted in. A short distance later, Top Resource continued to shift in, causing Gold Land (M. Heagney) to be steadied to avoid heels. Jockey R. Stewart, rider of Top Resource, was reprimanded for this incident. For a short distance leaving the 800m, All Kiwi was inclined to hang out. Nearing the 700m when the pace steadied, Gold Land commenced to over-race and as a result was forced to shift out to avoid heels, forcing Maali (B. Payne) wider on the track. Maali raced wide from that point onwards. Prince Roamanico (A. Taylor) and Grillita’s Secret (M. Hughes) raced wide throughout.


Race 3:

3yo & Up F&M Maiden Plate - 1100m
1st - Yeah Good; 2nd - Mysterious Girl; 3rd - Quingilly

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Walk: “Yeah, she likes this track. I gave her a run on it before in a Class 1 (as a Maiden) and she ran alright that day. This is her sort of distance. We tried her over further before and that didn’t really work. We gave her a spell and she’s come back well. I thought she would be hard to beat. She’s been a nightmare for her owners and they deserve every win they get for the way they have kept trying with her. She’s done a lot of things wrong, so they’ve done well to get here.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fortynil (M. Hughes) was slow to begin. Quingilly (T. Treichel) jumped away awkwardly, losing ground. Near the 900m, Get Jazz (W. Clasohm) was forced to steady when tightened for room to the inside of Quingelly, which was taken in by Mile High Mistress (D. Craven). D. Craven, rider of Mile High Mistress, was advised to exercise more care in similar circumstances in future. Queens Of The Storm (D. Gill), Miss Bickie (A. Badger) and Bella Principessa all raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Mile High Mistress revealed the horse to be lame in the near foreleg. Trainer B. Baldwin was advised that he must produce a veterinary clearance for the filly prior to its next race start.


Race 4:

Open Handicap - 1600m
1st - In Rehearsal; 2nd - Nevada Gambler; 3rd - Malta

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Bruce McLachlan: “Last time the other one (Nevada Gambler) rushed away and I think they all thought it would come back them and it didn’t. We were flying at the finish there, but went down by a short-neck. We met again here, but they rode it differently today. We were in touch and he proved that he could handle the Cushion track which is good. It gives us another option. We’ll probably push him up in distance now. He has won over 1800m before and we’ll probably push up to 2000m.”

Apprentice jockey Owen Turpin (who completed a hat trick on the day to add to the two winners he had at the track at its inaugural night meeting on Saturday night): “I knew the other horse wouldn’t lead on the Cushion track the way it did last time. It never does. I thought well, I’d be able to just jump out and ride the horse at my own pace. After the jump I just popped him out one off the rail, because I was last anyway. I popped up outside Nevada Gambler knowing that Nevada Gambler was going to take off early at the 600m. I then just sat on my horse and held him in until the straight. Around the 450m I started letting him slide and he finished off great. The stable turned the horse out beautifully and I just want to say to Jason and Bruce (McLachlan) how much I appreciate the rides they give me.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
In Rehearsal (O. Turpin) was slow to begin. Semi Wells (B. Evans) was momentarily held up for clear running rounding the home turn. Stewards questioned both apprentice A. Badger and trainer B. Gill in relation to the tactics adopted on Nevada Gambler. Apprentice Badger stated her instructions were to ride the horse in a forward position, however after travelling a short distance, it was clear she was not going to be able to hold such a position as horses to her outside were showing significant early speed, and she elected therefore to take hold and take a sit. Trainer Mr B. Gill confirmed these instructions, however stated that he was not entirely surprised the Nevada Gambler was not able to hold the lead as, in his opinion, there was more pace in this event than at the horse's previous start.


Race 5:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 1600m
1st - Pop Legend; 2nd - Lapetus; 3rd - Real Grand

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gina Roberts: “He hasn’t performed badly in recent starts, but he just doesn’t appreciate heavy ground. He’s definitely better on top of the ground. He gets through the heavy going but he’s not comfortable in it. We just had no choice. There are not a lot of suitable races around. It’s taken a while with him. He ran fourth in his first start as a three-year-old at the Gold Coast, but he bowed his tendon so hence, we lost a couple of years because he has done it twice. He had two years off and it’s just taken a long time for him to come back. Being an older horse, he just needed racing. You know last start, ok that was on a heavy track, and this one, it’s probably the fittest he’s ever been.
“I did have a bit of confidence in him coming right, that’s why I persevered with him. He’s always shown a bit of ability and I think he will win a couple of more races. When they can get a bit of ground it’s a bit easier. Staying races are not that hard. I think he’ll get 2000m or maybe even further, you know. He had to chase down the winner today. He always tries hard and his determination helped get him there. Kenji (Yoshida) did well. He rides all my work and I’ve got to support him.”

Jockey Kenji Yoshida: “At the top of the straight I wasn’t sure if I could run down the leader (Lapetus) because he had kicked away by four or five lengths. At the 200m, my horse started making ground and was closing the gap. From there I was pretty sure I would win.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Ausbred Icon (A. Merritt) and Fleischmans Rocket (W. Clasohm) were slow to begin. Dane Raider (K. Pope) raced wide in the early stages. Biscays Best (R. Stewart), which raced wide in the early stages, over-raced for a short distance leaving the 1400m. Approaching the 400m, Slip Up (M. Hughes) shifted out to obtain clear running and in doing so made heavy contact with Pop Legend (K. Yoshida), causing both horses to become unbalanced. Real Grand raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Fast Horse, which tailed off, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 6:

3yo QTIS Maiden Handicap - 1000m
1st - Trail Of Secrets; 2nd - Easy Play; 3rd - Kalinga Lady

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Bruce McLachlan: (The McLachlan stable completed a treble on the day). “She is a really lightly framed filly. She showed us a lot early ... but she has taken so long to mature. We’ve had to turn her out a few times. She’s shown a lot of potential on the track and she just needs to strengthen up. She will get stronger. She is a late maturing filly. A couple of times I thought she could win. She wasn’t strong enough. She’ll make it at the end of the day. Give her another twelve months and she will be a nice filly.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Easy Play (J. Jones) was slow to begin. Near the 600m, Easy Play improved up on to the heels of Dodge County (O. Turpin) and had to be steadied. Easy Play was then held up for clear running until leaving the 400m. Pegunny Theatre (J. Bowditch) was buffeted at the start between Stickman (W. Clasohm) and Trail Of Secrets (N. Thomas), both of which shifted ground. Dodge County (O. Turpin) was inclined to hang out from the 500m onwards. Stickman and Galaxy Stalker (M. Hughes) raced wide throughout.


Race 7:

Class 3 Handicap - 1100m
1st - Craiglea Maiden; 2nd - Yuketan; 3rd - Larry's Boy

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Fleming: “That’s her third run this prep. Before that she was out for eleven months because she suffered badly from EI and never really recovered from the inoculations. We just had to give her time. She’s finally come back now, but at the time she just never handled the inoculations. She’s been up to 1500m, but 1000m to 1300m is probably her best range of distance. The draw (number one barrier) helped and he (Tony Pattillo) rode her well.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Buddha Babe was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon prior to the race and cleared to start. Alf On The Run, which reared over in the barriers, was declared a late scratching at 4.07 pm on veterinary advice. Trainer S. Mackinnon was advised that a warning would be placed on Alf On The Run regarding its barrier manners. Buddha Babe (A. Spinks), Disastrous (G. Baker) and Reonmay (D. Craven) were all tightened for room at the start between Lunacampo (N. Thomas) and Craiglea Maiden (A. Pattillo), which shifted out. Reonmay and Disastrous both lost ground in this incident. Lions And Dragons (A. Merritt) was tightened for room at the start between YUKETAN (E. Wilkinson) and Larry’s Boy (T. Chambers), both of which shifted ground. Approaching the 1000m, Lions And Dragons (A. Merritt), which commenced to over-race and Larry’s Boy (T. Chambers) were both tightened for room and had to be steadied when racing between Lunacampo (N. Thomas), which shifted out, and Yuketan (E. Wilkinson), which shifted in. Lions And Dragons then continued to over-race until leaving the 800m when it hung out across the heels of Clickgothespears (K. Pope) and had to be checked. L. Manzelman, trainer of Lions And Dragons, was advised that the horse must barrier trial satisfactorily prior to its next race start. Nearing the 800m, when the pace slackened, Larry’s Boy (T. Chambers) commenced to over-race on the heels of Reonmay (D. Craven). Larry’s Boy (T. Chambers) had difficulty obtaining clear running from the 500m until approaching the 200m. Clickgothespears (K. Pope) and Yuketan (E. Wilkinson) raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Buddha Babe revealed the gelding had sustained a small laceration to the near hind leg. The veterinary surgeon also reported that Lunacampo had been galloped on on the off hind leg.


Race 8:

Class 1 Handicap - 1400m
1st - Damashqui; 2nd - Spirto Gentil; 3rd - Don Carmello

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Bruce McLachlan: “He’s racing well. We dropped him back in distance because he just never finished the mile off last time. He might be a 1400m horse, but we will give him a try over the mile again.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
App. Jockey J. Jones was examined by the club's doctor and stood down from his engagement on Cooly Road and was replaced by apprentice A. Taylor. Cooly Road (A. Taylor) was slow to begin. Mr Solidarity (E. Wilkinson) jumped away awkwardly. Seven Dwarfs (H. Hamada) jumped with its head in the air and lost ground. Leaving the 1200m, Seven Dwarfs (H. Hamada) and Cooly Road (A. Taylor) both over-raced and had to be steadied. Approaching the 600m, Spirito Gentil (B. Pengelly) was forced to shift wider on the track to avoid the heels of the tiring Competitive Edge and in doing so shifted Sir Reason (R. Stewart) wider on the track. Spirito Gentil (B. Pengelly) raced wide from this point onwards. Nearing the 400m, Mr Solitary was momentarily tightened for room between Spirito Gentil and Howgoodsthat (K. Pope), which shifted out slightly. Nearing the 200m, E. Wilkinson, rider of Mr Solitary, accidentally dropped his whip. Mr Solitary (E. Wilkinson) and Sir Reason (R. Stewart) raced wide throughout. Spirito Gentil lost its off-fore plate in running. A post-race veterinary examination of Competitive Edge revealed the colt had a minor abrasion to the off nostril and a minor laceration to the inside of the off-fore cannon. The club's veterinary surgeon also reported that Howgoodsthat, which commenced to lose ground from the 400m, revealed the horse to be lame in the off-fore fetlock. Trainer J. Walk was advised he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for Howgoodsthat prior to its next race start. Jockey B. Pengelly pleaded guilty to a charge under AR145 in that he returned to scale overweight on Spirito Gentil. B. Pengelly was fined the sum of $500.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed:
All winners, Fantastic Carat, Quingilly.