DOOMBEN REVIEW (WED, MAR 18)

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

Race 1:

3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1350m
1st - Stawell Dash; 2nd - Galactic Spirit; 3rd - Razzled

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Steven O’dea: “He’s had a little bit of trouble with shin-soreness. Even though he is a four-year-old, he’s had a few problems with shin-soreness. So I’ve had to sort of nurse him along a little bit and space his runs out a bit. That was the reason for the three-and-a-half month break prior to this prep. Today, everything went according to plan. There wasn’t much speed in the race and he was able to box-set. When he let down they couldn’t go with him. We were confident because he struck a bit of trouble in the running last time (when resuming). His last furlong in that race was really good. He made up a lot of ground and not a lot of horses were making ground on that day – the rail was right out at Eagle Farm. So the effort was good first-up and it brought him on for today and the extra ground also helped him.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Stawell Dash): 4.00 in to 3.80 out to 4.60.
Favourite (Galactic Spirit): 3.00 out to 3.20 in to 2,50. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Show Business (L. Cassidy) and Stawell Dash (B. Stewart) made contact on jumping away. Ilala Lad (S. Bayliss) and Mon Beau Cheval (L. Rolls) were slow to begin. All By Myself (A. Pattillo) jumped outwards at the start and bumped Public Image (D. Griffin). Show Business raced wide throughout.
When questioned regarding the performance of All By Myself, A. Pattillo stated that when the pace quickened leaving the 500m, his mount was unable to accelerate and, in his opinion, would be better suited over a longer distance. A post-race veterinary examination of All By Myself revealed the horse to have sustained a minor laceration to the near-side eyelid and had the presence of blood in its mouth.
Stewards sought an explanation from apprentice O. Turpin in regards to the tactics employed on Galactic Spirit in the middle stages. O. Turpin stated that he had been instructed to position the filly in a rearward position from the wide barrier and added that Galactic Spirit travelled comfortably in the early stages. O. Turpin stated that approaching the home turn he was conscious of horses forward of him weakening and therefore elected to move the horse wider and keep it balanced until entering the home straight. O. Turpin further added that he placed the horse under full pressure near the 300m and it closed the race off well. Trainer D. Murphy confirmed the instructions and expressed concerns in regards to O. Turpin's failure to trail Razzled, which was improving forward of him rounding the home turn. Stewards advised apprentice Turpin that although in their opinion he may have erred in his riding of the filly by failing to take up that trailing position behind Razzled, they did not believe that the error of judgement warranted any further action being taken.
Following this event, the track rating was upgraded to Slow 6.


Race 2:

Maiden Plate - 2020m
1st - Hooray Tobey; 2nd - Montaperti; 3rd - Finding Neverland

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Garry Hutchesson (who landed his first winner in town) “As a lot of people have said, she looks like a sprinter, but she just wants to stay all day. That is why the increase in distance was our preferred option. She is a real nice little mare. Very nice ... and as tough as old boots. We pre-trained her here before she went down to race in Sydney, so she’s come full circle. She had a few runs, but wasn’t just quite up to it down there. I’ve been training for about fifteen years at Beaudesert. Just never had one good enough to bring to town before. I won’t get carried away with the result though. I’ll just simmer down and have a think about it. She’ll get further still I think, but we’ll go away and look at our options.”

Jockey Daniel Griffin (who continued his fine form after riding four winners at the Gold Coast last Saturday): “It was a pretty muddled speed early and, approaching the 1000m, horses got out, wanting to get going, and couldn’t. I was instructed to get going and ride her freely from the 600m and track right into it. I switched her out to the outside to give her a run. Gee, she does try. I was really happy with her finish. She looks like she can go further so it was a pretty good effort.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hooray Tobey): 5.00 out to 5.50 in to 4.80.
Favourite (Foreign Lass): 2.50 out to 2.60. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Montaperdi (O. Turpin) was slow to begin. The tiring Biscays Best (B. Stewart) laid in in the home straight. Stewards questioned apprentice B. Evans, rider of Ausbred Icon, in regards to him shifting to a three-wide position near the 900m, which allowed Biscays Best (B. Stewart) to improve forward to his inside. B. Evans stated that Ausbred Icon shifted out under pressure at this stage, thus allowing Biscays Best to improve forward of him and force him wider on the track. B. Evans further added that he was unable to attempt to hold his position at this stage due to his mount tiring. His explanation was noted.


Race 3:

3yo Maiden Handicap - 1200m
1st - Bretonneux; 2nd - Mr Nappy; 3rd - Regal Prince

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Wakefield: “We didn’t really want to give him a run last time (on debut in November), but he was going well and needed to run. He needs to learn. He also just needed to strengthen through the back line there a little bit. We just gave him an old-time prep last time. Plenty of three-quarter work to strengthen the horse up. It strengthened the horse and gave him time to develop. He is very well bred on the dam side and he has certainly given us the impression he is going to be seven furlong / miler horse. We’ve brought him up slow and steady this time. Depending on how he goes, I’d like to aim him for the three-year-old races during the Carnival here. He is a horse with good ability, but he still has to learn to get everything together."

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “He only began fair. I got caught wide. I stayed three deep because I didn’t want to drag him back. I thought I’d stay here until I see how it pans out and then I might just be able to slot over. I thought to come back that three-quarters I’d have to be dragging him back and I didn’t want to do that, because then he might want to go harder. So I just waited it out and then I was sort of able to come back a fraction and just slot across. He travelled alright. Then, when we got to the 600m, I thought, we can’t sit back here. I pulled him out and started pushing him around and I thought, OK, we’re coming into it. When I straightened, even though I was four (lengths) off them, I thought, I’ve got you guys. By the 200m I thought, no, I’m going to run third – and it would have been a good third. So, I actually stuck the stick away again and I just roared at him. All of a sudden then he knuckled down and it was a soft win in the end. He’ll learn a lot from that run and he should get that little bit better with every run ... and when he gets over further he’ll be better again.”

Brian Wakefield (speaking to Cassidy): “When I said to you don’t get to the front too early ... you’ve done very well.” Bretonneux only got to the front late in the running - when it mattered most.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Bretonneux): 1.90 out to 2.50.
Favourite (Mr Nappy): 2.90 in to 2.00. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Happy Rhythm (T. Pannell) and Smuggler’s Inn (B. Stewart) were tightened for room on jumping away between Regal Prince (B. Evans), which shifted out, and Carigano (M. Paget), which shifted in after jumping away awkwardly. Carigano over-raced in the early stages. Carigano (M. Paget) had to be steadied near the 300m after attempting to take a run between Bradbury’s World (M. Palmer) and Bretonneux (L. Cassidy) where there was insufficient room. Fubah (D. Brown) and Facebook (A. Taylor) raced wide throughout. Following this event the track rating was upgraded to Dead 5.


Race 4:

CG&E Class 4 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Laurie's Lad; 2nd - Thundershot; 3rd - Larry's Boy

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Brent Evans (speaking directly after dismounting): “It was very close. I got him out into a good position – he was just pulling his head off there. Then he let down and sprinted, but he didn’t sprint as good as I thought he would. But he just kept on whacking. He showed a lot of guts.”

Jockey Daniel Griffin, rider of the second placed horse, lodged a protest against the winner so the decision on the outcome of the race moved to the Stewards Room.

Jockey Daniel Griffin (giving the grounds for his objection): “Approaching the corner apprentice Evans (aboard Laurie’s Lad) pushes out on to my mount (Thundershot). Then they separate. Shortly after that, probably going on twenty metres, Evans’ horse, under hard riding, has come out and bumped my horse. I get my horse balanced and then Evans’ horse again comes out and bumps my horse. On three occasions they have made contact where he has come out and met my horse. My horse always struggled to get past, because every-time it would get its feet underneath itself, Evans’ horse would come out and bump it off stride again. Probably at the top of the straight – the first initial bump that he gave after rounding the corner – you can see that he really bumps his hind-quarters out of stride. You can see it had a fair bearing on my horse wanting to let down. Definitely ... considering the margins, it certainly cost us.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans (questioning Griffin): “Up the running, at any stage was your horse laying in?”

Daniel Griffin: “No. I believe your horse has come out under hard riding and made contact with my horse.”

Brent Evans (making his statement): “Coming around the turn, as my horse probably has bumped jockey Griffin’s horse at the top of the straight ... I feel that ... after that I feel that jockey Griffin’s horse ... I’m not saying my horse wasn’t running out, but I feel that jockey Griffin’s horse has contributed to the incident too. I feel that, as you look at the head-on, his horse is laying in at different stages up the straight ... and, I mean, even if there was a bump at the top of the straight, I feel I was just as inconvenienced as jockey Griffin’s horse. My horse was finishing better than anything.”

Daniel Griffin (questioning Evans): “At the top of the straight, did you ride your horse out onto mine?”

Brent Evans: “No. There was a run coming. I just went straight for the run at the top of the straight and the run was granted and that was it.

Daniel Griffin: “Did you have to push out on me to obtain that run?”

Brent Evans: “I did not have to push you out to obtain that run.”

Daniel Griffin: “Would you say that your horse, under hard riding from the stick, has rolled out?”

Brent Evans: “At the top of the straight it rolled out. In the run-in it was laying out a tad, but I feel it going mostly straight.”

Eden Petrie, trainer of Thundershot, had no comment.

Trainer Peter Kings (Trainer of Laurie’s Lad): “Yeah, I’d just like to say that he (Griffin) never missed a beat on the second horse. As they turned he did get to the front of the other horse, but my horse just kicked back. But he was just sort of as much to blame as the other one really. He never missed a stride the second horse. I think he might have, more or less, laid in on my horse at the top of the straight. It did get to the lead the second horse, but my horse juts kicked back and was going away from him at the finish.”

The protest was dismissed.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Laurie’s Lad): 15.00 out to 16.00.
Favourite: Larry’s Boy: 1.70 out to 2.20. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
On return to scale a protest was lodged by D. Griffin, rider of the 2nd placegetter, Thundershot, against Laurie’s Lad being declared the winner, alleging interference in the home straight. After taking evidence from the parties concerned and viewing the patrol films, stewards were of the opinion that near the 200m, Laurie’s Lad, when laying out, shifted out, making contact with Thundershot, however stewards could not be comfortably satisfied that this contact had resulted in the finishing positions of those horses being materially affected, and therefore stewards dismissed the objection.
Jovelon (S. Scriven) was tightened for room on jumping away between Larry’s Boy (T. Treichel) and Laurie’s Lad (B. Evans), both of which shifted ground. Monashee Prince (J. Jones) and Silva Razza (M. Hellyer) made contact on jumping away. Another Speights (D. Craven) commenced to over-race leaving the 900m and had to be steadied from the heels of Jovelon on several occasions until near the 600m where D. Craven, rider of Another Speights, was obliged to shift to a three-wide position. Approaching the 100m, Larry’s Boy (T. Treichel) improved up on to the heels of the tiring Monashee Prince (J. Jones) and was obliged to alter course to obtain clear running.


Race 5:

3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1110m
1st - Flying Topaze; 2nd - Schianto; 3rd - Once More Brother

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Mel Eggleston (for whom Flying Topaze was having his first run): “I’ve had him about a month. The horse came to me fit and ready to run. Kris (Lees) – who had him before - said it would be very hard to beat. It’s been racing in pretty good Maidens down there. He just said it he’s ready to win.”

Apprentice jockey Luke Rolls (in passing to Mel Eggleston): “Lucky I’m a good trainer. He needed that extra work.”

Mel Eggleston (explaining Rolls’ comment): “I knew he’d say that. Luke decided he wanted to work the horse on Tuesday. So I gave him a spray because he gave him too much. Now I’ve got to bite my lip. At least we both got the result we were looking for.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Flying Topaze): 3.00 out to 3.60 in to 3.50.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Travellers Rest (L. Cassidy) jumped away awkwardly and faltered shortly after the start. Cape Silver (D. Griffin) was tightened for room on jumping away between Moonlight Zephyr (R. Goltz) and Once More Brother (K. Yoshida), both of which shifted ground. Leaving the 150m, Flying Topaze (L. Rolls) shifted in, hampering Benny Eggs. Benny Eggs (Mat Palmer) and Bonhomme Richard (A. Pattillo) raced wide throughout.


Race 6:

F&M Class 4 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Moulin Lady; 2nd - Anachelle; 3rd - Western Pacific

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Alan Bailey: “I’m satisfied with that. First-go in the wet weather. None of them has had as much work – gallops and that - as they should have had. She was bit full of herself beforehand and was a bit big too. I don’t think she will have any problem running a mile. We might have a look at a couple of those Three-Year-Old Fillies races during the Carnival now.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans (who completed a double on the day): “I thought she would ping and go a lot quicker than she did. I really had to work on her to get there. Once she got there she was just travelling, travelling ... coming around the turn I had double wraps on her. But again she didn’t do as much as I thought she would under hands and heels. It was like she was just a bit lazy. I had to give her one and then she really extended.”

Moulin Lady is lightly raced and was resuming here in her third preparation. Apart from a hiccup on her debut, the filly has done little wrong, scoring three wins (and one minor placing) from five starts.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Moulin Lady): 1.50 out to 1,60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Anachelle (C. McIver), which was fractious in the barriers, was slow to begin. Western Pacific (M. Hughes) and Moulin Lady (B. Evans) were tightened for room on jumping away between Jacana Belle (O. Turpin) and Jellicles (C. Reith), both of which shifted ground. Shooting Stars (B. Payne) raced ungenerously in the early stages of the event. Western Pacific had a tendency to lay out rounding the home turn and shifted out in the early stages of the straight, resulting in Anachelle having to be steadied of that horse's heels and shift ground to the inside to obtain clear running. Miss Maggie (M. Radecker) raced three wide throughout. Following this event the track rating was upgraded to Dead 4.


Race 7:

Class 5 Handicap - 1615m
1st - Hume; 2nd - Mister Tivoli; 3rd - Eddie Rapido

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “We are still getting to know him. When you get a horse like that from Lloyd-Williams and they have only raced in short distances, you have got to feel your way and to get their minds right you have to ride them in the same fashion.” (Hume’s two wins for Smith have come in the identical fashion – ridden cold and produced for a high-powered finishing effort). “It was a very, very smart effort. I haven’t seen a horse do that in a long time. He’s wanted to go himself, hasn’t he?”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “Yeah, it was almost a carbon copy of his last win, except he was much better today too. The way he began today, he really wanted to race up there. When he jumped I could have went with the other horse and gone over and sat close-up in the first turn. He could have been in the first four – doing it easy. Now we know, if he can draw an alley, he can just be there, you know. But, for this run, we decided to ride the same pattern as his last win. Coming around the bend, it took me awhile. I had to manoeuvre out from the inside to get to the outside. It was only a matter of half-a-dozen strides and then he really got his momentum going. It was a pretty soft win in the end. Because I knew I had them covered, I never really had to go full bore on him.”

Hume is now two from two for trainer Brian Smith since transferring from Victoria.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hume): 3.30 in to 2.90.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Davion (D. Craven) raced wide in the early stages of the event. Dartbolt (B. Evans) stood flatfooted at the start and lost considerable ground. Trainer L. Hatch was advised that he must obtain a barrier certificate for Dartbolt prior to its next race start. Apprentice M. Helyer, rider of Bloody Quick, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that approaching the 1400m he failed to make sufficient effort to prevent his mount from shifting in, which resulted in Eddie Rapido (J. Bowditch) striking the heels of Bloody Quick and blundering. In this incident, Dartbolt also had to be checked to avoid Eddie Rapido. M. Helyer was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 8 meetings, to commence at midnight, 22 March and to expire at midnight, 4 April. Dartbolt (B. Evans) raced wide from a point near the 800m. Havayarn (Matthew Palmer) raced wide throughout.
R. Wiggins, rider of Fools Rush In, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that near the 300m he permitted his mount to shift out when insufficiently clear of Davion (D. Craven), resulting in D. Craven, rider of Davion, having to steer that horse to the outside to avoid the heels of Fools Rush In, thus being forced considerably wider on the track. R. Wiggins was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 21 March, and to expire at midnight, 31 March 2009.


Race 8:
Class 3 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Chelle's Alibi; 2nd - Sharufa; 3rd - Werockit

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “She’s got a touch of class about her. She is quite versatile. She won over 2020m at the end of her last prep and was doing it just as well here over 1350m. I think she’ll sort of end up getting over ground. She’s just got that bit of quality that helps her sprint early in her preparation. She’s just got stronger every prep. She’s just been a bit of a late developer, but she’s putting a nice little record together now. He (Chris McIver) rode her terrific too. He’s going good.”

Apprentice jockey Chris McIver: “We had a half-decent alley. We were midfield. She travelled well ... had a nice trail into the race. I pulled her out and let go. When she let down she found another gear.”

Chelle’s Alibi has now won three times and has finished second three times from nine career starts.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Chelle’s Alibi): 6.50 out to 7.00
Favourite (Sharufa): 2.70 out to 3.00 in to 2.40. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
As T. Treichel was to be overweight, apprentice B. Evans was substituted as the rider of Rock Slide as no senior rider was available. T. Treichel was fined $100. Ching Hoi Boy (B. Payne) was tightened for room on jumping away between Raw Nerve (A. Pattillo) and So Different (T. Pannell), both of which shifted ground. Werockit (B. El-Issa) was slow to begin. Base Dancer (D. Craven) raced ungenerously in the early stages and then was obliged to race three wide for the majority of the event. You’re On Merv (J. Bowditch) was held up and unable to improve rounding the home turn. Werockit (B. El-Issa) was held up in the straight and unable to secure clear running until leaving the 200m. Stresso (C. Reith) raced wide throughout.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed post race: All winners.
Horses swabbed pre race: Galactic Spirit, Handy Hints, Show Business, Biscays Best, Raw Sienna, Son Of Zaha, Looks Like Deano, Facebook, Fubah, Monashee Prince, Laurie's Lad, Thundershot.