DOOMBEN REVIEW (WED, MAR 04)

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Wednesday, March 04.

Race 1:

2yo Maiden Plate - 1030m
1st - Dibaba; 2nd - Lively Lillie; 3rd - Dancingwithangels

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Jason McLachlan: “That’s Sleepy Jackson’s half-sister mate. She’s always shown plenty, but we just thought she might be a bit green today. We didn’t have to worry. She was just too good for them.”

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson: “It was her first start obviously. I trialled her and she trialled ok. I really thought she’d need the experience today. I knew she had ability. Through the run I thought, well, she’s going pretty good. On straightening all I needed was a bit of room. When I got that she just exploded into action. We had the right run. Things happened for her which made it easy for me. So, yeah, she’s above average and I think she’ll be a lot better than you saw today.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
As T. Pannell was to be overweight, K. Yoshida was substituted as the rider of Smart Of Course. An inquiry into this matter will be held on a date to be fixed. Rainy Knight (L. Rolls) began awkwardly. Smart Of Course (K. Yoshida), which was a little slow to begin, was tightened for room between Spinelli (C. McIver) and Lunar Life (G. Baker), which jumped outwards. Sneaky Secret (A. Spinks) jumped outwards at the start and brushed Lonhroad (M. Palmer). Mondean (R. Wiggins) shifted inwards shortly after the start, making contact with Cattlerail (O. Turpin). Dibaba (E. Wilkinson) shifted out from behind the heels of Mondean (R. Wiggins) near the 300m and made contact with Dancingwithangels. Lively Lillie (T. Treichel) shifted out under pressure in the run to the finish. Close to the finish line, Smart Of Course had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Spinelli (C. McIver), which shifted in. C. McIver, rider of Spinelli, was instructed to exercise more care when shifting ground. Sneaky Secret, Lunar Life (G. Baker) and Rainy Knight (L. Rolls) were all obliged to race three wide throughout, and Lonhroad racedfour wide for the entire race. A post-race veterinary examination of Dibaba revealed the colt to be showing signs of lameness in the near front hoof.


Race 2:
CG&E 3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1110m
1st - Unsupervised; 2nd - Benny Eggs; 3rd - Girondist

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “He nearly had a heart attack in his first start (when finishing a distant twenty lengths behind the winner). He had a heart fibulation*in that run. So we’ve had to treat him for the last six weeks. We did have a lot of drama trying to get the heart-beat back in whack. It normally just goes back into whack straight after treatment, but it didn’t with him. They checked him again. No good. Had to treat him again. It must have been something like ten vet visits before the heart-beat was back in sync. Then we had to trial him to the Stewards satisfaction. They came and tested him again. He was fine. That what the end result.”

I put two further questions to Schweida... Unsupervised only had his first start halfway through his four-year-old season. Was that because of the heart problems, or did the heart fibulation problem only emerge in the geldings first run? Did the horse have any other problems that delayed the start to his career?

Kelly Schweida: “He’s had all kinds of trouble. Shin-soreness. Sesamoiditis ... you name it, he’s had it. He’s been shin-sore three times, had sesamoiditis, he’s not the best breather, the heart problem ... he’s had heaps of problems. Add in the fact that he was a big horse as a colt, so they (the owners) gave it plenty of time to harden up. Both owners, Noel Greenhaigh and Kevin Dixon, are very good that way. If you say the horse needs time, they say give him time. Some owners ... you know if he’d had to rush, he’s be broken down, and here he is winning. The chances are we give the horse another break now and let him come on in his own time.”

A day after the race Schweida confirmed that Unsupervised had pulled up fine and all was well with the horse.

Jockey Christian Reith: “I was nearly flattened during the race. I was happy to be in just behind the pace, but there was a lot of pressure from the outside and when the interference happened it cost us several lengths. I just let him find his feet and take me into the race. He did a terrific job to win.”

*Fibulation is a term used to describe an abnormal rhythm in one or more chambers of the heart. Rather than beat in unison, the muscles of a heart suffering from fibulation tends to quiver. The immediate consequence of fibulation is an ineffective heartbeat which fails to pump blood as it should. This can cause serious problems such as a heart attack as well as damage to the heart muscles themselves.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Benny Eggs reared in the barriers, dislodging its jockey. Benny Eggs then became cast in the barriers. The veterinary surgeon examined the horse after it was unloaded from the barriers and cleared the gelding to start. Motor Mark (K. Yoshida), Unsupervised (C. Reith) and Gigandra (R. Stewart) were all tightened for room at the start by Girondist (J. Taylor), which jumped inwards. Travellers Rest (O. Turpin), which was slow to begin, was tightened for room on jumping between Impeding (K. Banks) and Fubah (A. Merritt), which jumped inwards.
J. Taylor, rider of Girondist, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that he failed to make sufficient effort to keep his mount straight approaching the 1000m, causing Gigandra (R. Stewart) to be tightened for room and Unsupervised and Motor Mark (K. Yoshida) to be severely checked and lose ground. J. Taylor was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 8 meetings, to commence at midnight, Saturday, 7 March and to expire at midnight, 20 March 2009.
Apprentice O. Turpin reported that in the early stages Travellers Rest was somewhat reluctant to travel and did not seem to stretch out. A post-race veterinary examination of Travellers Rest sometime after the race failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. A post-race veterinary examination of Gigandra revealed the gelding to have sustained a laceration to the near hind leg.


Race 3:
F&M Maiden 3yo Handicap - 1110m
1st - Plain Magic; 2nd - Catch A Chic; 3rd - Stellar Rocket

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Schweida (who completed a double on the day): “I’ve always had a big opinion of this filly. First start she should have won. She missed the start, got back to second last and then flashed home. Second start she pulled up shin-sore.” (Plain Magic finished second in both of those starts). “The winner there (Yatala) came out and run third in a Listed race after that. So the form is good. We put her out ... gave her a bit of time. She’s not the biggest filly – hence her name, Plain Magic. She is a bit of a plain Jane, but she’s always been able to run.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “She is a nice filly and she has come back well (after a four month layoff). She probably hasn’t grown as I would have liked her to, but she is just a professional little racehorse. You know, she’s only won her Maiden today but she’ll be winning many more. I think, ridden quietly, she is a dead-set 1400m horse, so they’ll have a few options with here.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stalwart Twist (E. Wilkinson) stood flatfooted at the start and lost ground. Stellar Rocket (R. Goltz) pulled hard making the first turn. When the pace eased near the 700m, Shrewd Hostess had to be steadied off the heels of Show Business (R. Stewart).


Race 4:

Maiden Plate - 1350m
1st - Demonstrator; 2nd - Galactic Spirit; 3rd - Robson

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Pat Duff: “Much of the credit must be given to the jockey. The horse needed a strong ride and he got that. He’s a green horse and he’ll probably go for a bit of a break now. I think he will return a better horse for it next time around. You noticed in the straight he was racing a bit green. He hasn’t really switched on to being a race-horse yet.”

Jockey Shane Scriven (who completed a race-to-race double on the day): “At the moment he needs blinkers, because he won’t chase. He was going to sh..t in, but then he let that horse get past and I had to give him some. He was always going to win, but it took a lot to get there.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Galactic Spirit (C. Reith) and Robson (K. Banks) were tightened for room on jumping away between Monching (D. Griffin) and Demonstrator (S. Scriven) shifted out. Little Pumpkin (S. Galloway) jumped away awkwardly. Near the 1100m, Demonstrator commenced to pull hard and when being steadied off Monching (D. Griffin), shifted out, forcing Sassafras Boy (L. Cassidy) wider on the track. On straightening, Little Pumpkin (S. Galloway) had to be steadied away from the heels of Sassafras Boy (L. Cassidy) when attempting to take a run to that horse's outside where there was doubtful room. Passing the 300m, Demonstrator had to be eased to avoid the heels of Razzled (M. Palmer), which shifted out slightly. National Soldier (R. Stewart) raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 5:

F&M Class 2 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Sirena Ligera; 2nd - Sharufa; 3rd - Akoya

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “We stepped her up in distance just to try and find out what her range might be this time so that next time we can make some concrete plans with regard to how far we go. I’m definitely pleased with that result, and she looks like she will even get further. She’s doing well now. She just took a little while to get going. She had a little bit of a temper early ... a little bit of an attitude. She still flairs up from time to time, but we’ve sort of got her under control now and hopefully she’ll be ok.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sirena Ligera (C. McIver) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out shortly after the start, brushing Vera’s Pride (L. Cassidy).


Race 6:

Class 4 Handicap - 1650m
1st - Aquaterra; 2nd - Fat Possum; 3rd - Dartbolt

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Guy: “He’s going nicely this horse. He’s going alright – but they didn’t miss him in the weights. Aquaterra went to 57kg while this horse (pointing to Mauries Pick in the race-book) won the same day, same class, and he went to 55kg. So I can’t work them out, you know. As far as the horse himself is concerned we are obviously very happy with the way he is travelling. He’s racing good. He’s going through his grades well. He’s happily stepping up in distance and looks like he’ll go further. Today there was no leader in the race and Jason (Taylor) said beforehand that he would probably end up in front. I said he could do that as long as he didn’t have to push him to get there, but he got there easy and then just dictated it from there.”

Jockey Jason Taylor: “I looked at the race and I could see only Fat Possums as the other speed in the race. I just thought, my horse can’t really sit and sprint. He needs to sort of flow along at the 600m. I thought if I let Fat Possums lead me, I might be in a bit of drama. So I rather dictated things myself. It worked out well. The biggest problem was the tents on the inside of the track near the finish. I thought he might start looking at them so, over the last 100m, I just made certain he stayed focussed on his task.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mauries Pick was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon behind the barriers and was found to be lame in the off foreleg. Mauries Pick declared a late scratching at 3.30 pm. Trainer C. Sinton was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for Mauries Pick prior to its next race start. Dartbolt (L. Rolls) was slow to begin. Stresso (L. Cassidy) and Mister Tivoli (O. Turpin) raced three wide for the majority of the event. Aquaterra (J. Taylor) shifted out near the 300m and continued to shift ground outwards in the run to the finish.


Race 7:

Class 4 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Queen Of Asia; 2nd - Alioop; 3rd - Tuqiri

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Michael Palmer: “She bounced out well, but once she got a nice possie mid-race they all came around us and put us a length or two further back. I then just tracked a couple up and popped out wider to try and keep her out of trouble. She is the type of horse that needs that sort of trouble-free run where it’s not start and stop, but, once she straightened and balanced up she let down well. She still had work to do over the last 100m, but she fought on strongly.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Alioop (C. McIver) cast its near hind plate and was late coming into the saddling enclosure due to being attended to by the farrier. As Alioop shifted its plate after being reshod, the farrier removed the near hind plate as he was unable to replace it due to it being fractious. Trainer R. Heathcote was granted permission to race the horse without its near hind plate. Cherry Gaze (A. Spinks) and Tuqiri (L. Cassidy) were tightened for room on jumping away between Best Of Ceedee (R. Wiggins), which jumped outwards, and Queen Of Asia (M. Palmer), which shifted in slightly. Mystic Vibe (T. Treichel) improved on to the heels of Queens Of Asia (M. Palmer) approaching the 800m and when being checked shifted out across the heels of Our Hawk (R. Stewart). Lemasel (G. Baker) was caught four wide on the first turn and raced wide until near the 600m. Cyclone Larry (J. Taylor) also raced wide in the early stages. On straightening, Tuqiri (L. Cassidy) shifted out to improve and brushed Best Of Ceedee (R. Wiggins). Alioop was held up in the early stages of the straight. Our Hawk raced wide for the majority of the event. Jockey L. Cassidy, rider of Tuqiri, reported that his saddle shifted back in running. Cherry Gaze bled during the event. Trainer B. Purcell was advised that CHERRY GAZE would be barred from racing for a period of 3 months.


Race 8:

CG&E Handicap - 1350m
1st - Hume; 2nd - Leapfrog; 3rd - Supreme Best

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “As soon as I got him I thought he was a stayer. When he drew fifteen today, we had to go back. I said to Scott (Galloway), settle him where you can settle him. But Scotty’s riding so well and the horse is fit – so he was just too good for them. He went around them and played with them.”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “I thought we were probably going to run second at the 200m – but I hadn’t got to the bottom of him yet. I sort of just picked him from the 250m under the big weight. He was an unknown to us at this stage because it was the first time we’d raced him, but, you know, he just flew over the last 100m. He looks like an exciting stayer.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Monchenglabach (O. Turpin) was slow to begin. Werockit (A. Pattillo) jumped away awkwardly and and shortly after the start was tightened for room between King Brahm (R. Wiggins) and Emgee Em Grand (L. Rolls), which jumped outwards. Supreme Best (J. Taylor) jumped inwards at the start, making contact with Fielding (A. Merritt).
Jockey R. Stewart, rider of Leapfrog, was found guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that near the 1200m he permitted his mount to shift in, causing a crowding to Supreme Best, which resulted in that horse shifting in and tightening Bald Eagle on to Bang The Castle, which had to be checked when it shifted in on to Rock Slide (C. Reith), which was inconvenienced. Jockey Stewart was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 8 March, and to expire at midnight, 18 March. In assessing penalty, stewards took into account mitigating circumstances.
Jovelon (S. Scriven) shifted out abruptly near the finish line. Trainer K. Schweida was advised that a warning would be placed on Jovelon regarding its racing manners. Werockit was unable to obtain clear running at any stage in the straight. Emgee Em Grand (L. Rolls) raced three wide for the entire race. King Brahm (R. Wiggins) was obliged to race wide for the entire race. A post-race veterinary examination of King Brahm revealed the horse to be showing signs of soreness in both forelegs, and was making a respiratory noise. Trainer B .Wakefield was advised that he would be required to provide the results of an endoscopic examination and veterinary clearance for King Brahm prior to its next race start. A post-race veterinary examination of Jovelon revealed the horse to have a small laceration to the off hind pastern.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed:
All winners, Leapfrog, Cherry Gaze, Fat Possum, Lively Lilly, Sharufa, Galactic Spirit, Benny Eggs.