SUNSHINE COAST REVIEW (SUN, MAR 08)

A review of the meeting held at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, March 8.

STEWARDS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT EXTRACT:
R. Stewart will be interviewed as to the reasons for him failing to fulfil his engagements.


Race 1:

QTIS 3yo Handicap - 1000m
1st - Craiglea Falcon; 2nd - Love Hit Me; 3rd - Barmazal

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Fleming: “He’s got no real speed so we were always going to ride him back at bit. He won at Doomben over 1350m, so he’s better suited over 1200m or 1300m ... but being first-up over 1000m, he handled it well. He won in similar fashion at Doomben. He came from last, the jockey dropped the whip and he came home down the outside. He knows where the line is. He’s a typical Favelon. He’s just had a few feet problems, but we’ve fixed that now. She was back to normal shoes today.”

Jockey Garry Baker: “He came from a long way back and hit the line very strong. A think he is probably a better horse ridden that way. He relaxed beautifully and then he ran right away from over the last furlong. When he gets further he’s going to win more for sure.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Nonethewiser, which was fractious in the barriers was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon at the start and cleared to race. Spirit Express, which was in the adjoining barrier, was removed from the barriers, examined and cleared to start. A warning was issued to the connections of Kalinga Echo, which proved difficult to load. Trainer T. Hall was advised that he would be required to provide a further barrier certificate for Love Hit Me, which was fractious in the barriers. Spirit Express (M. Paget) was slow to begin. Angel Force (A. Spinks) began awkwardly and shifted out, bumping Esbend (M. Speers). A. Spinks reported that Angel Force was inclined to hang out throughout the event, placing him at a disadvantage. Esbend (M. Speers) raced wide throughout. N. Thomas, rider of Nonethewiser, was cautioned regarding his whip use on that colt in the straight.


Race 2:

3yo & Up Maiden Handicap - 1600m
1st - Mark One; 2nd - Top Resource; 3rd - Montaperti

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Troy Hall: “It’s been a dry spell, I tell you. Not having as many runners, you see. It slows you up. We wanted him to go back. I thought he would be in front of a couple, but one got in his face and pushed him back further that one or two lengths. Damian (Browne) just kept him relaxed ... put him to sleep. He produced a very nice run home. He’s been a real slow in maturing. We’ve just been maturing him slowly but surely. We bought him as a stayer as a yearling and it looks like we’re heading in the right direction. He is going to be a much better horse as a four or five-year-old.”

Jockey Damian Browne: “They went very hard early and with that my fellow, he’s a colt, he probably switches off a little too much. They might think of gelding him. Even up the straight when he was chasing the leader he still wanted to run around and just do things that colt’s do, you know – what young boys do. I think he’ll make a nice horse later on.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After leaving the 1200m, Biscay’s Best (M. Paget) was inclined to lay in during the middle stages of the event and continued to do so for the remainder of the race. Whydidyouleaveme (A. Pattillo) was held up for clear running on entering the straight. A. Merritt, rider of Ausbred Icon, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that at approximately the 300m he permitted his mount to shift out around the heels of All Join Hands (N. Thomas) when insufficiently clear of Maningrey (G. Baker), resulting in that horse having to be restrained to avoid the heels of Ausbred Icon and losing its rightful running. A. Merritt was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 7 meetings, to commence at midnight, 9 March and to expire at midnight, 21 March. Over the final 100m, Biscay’s Best (M. Paget) commenced to lay in and was reluctant to take a run to the inside of Top Resource (O. Turpin). Over the concluding stages, Montaperdi(K. Pope) was tightened for room between Top Resource (O. Turpin) and Mark One (D. Browne), both of which shifted marginally and as a result shifted out in order to improve.


Race 3:

Maiden Plate - 1200m
1st - Bohica Baby; 2nd - Costigan; 3rd - Renegade Dancer

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Glenn Clunes: “He bled in his second last run prior to this. I didn‘t have him then. He bled, but he’s always shown a bit of ability. He’s form is not hopeless. So we bought him. Brought him back slowly and then just give him a run last time and this topped him off. He wasn’t stopping at the line. I think he might run a mile. He’ll improve.”

Apprentice jockey Jana Piper: “The young girl who is associated with horse broke her leg the day before yesterday and she is in hospital. She’s a track-work rider and she rang me up this morning nearly in tears because she couldn’t be here and she just said, ‘do your best, do your best.’ So I know I’ve made somebody happy. The horse has had a few problems and I just wanted to save him for the last bit to give him his best chance. He wanted to win today. It worked out. Another fifty yards and it wouldn’t have been so good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Craiglea Marilyn, which was unable to be loaded into the barriers, was declared a late scratching by order of the stewards at 2.07 pm Trainer T. Button was advised that he would be required to provide a further barrier certificate for Craiglea Marilyn prior to its next race start. On jumping away, Craiglea Rocket (J. Jones) was tightened for room between Gurkhas (A. Spinks) and Bohica Baby (J. Piper), both of which shifted ground. Renegade Dancer (M. Radecker) over-raced during the early stages. Rounding the home turn, Diamond Dancer (A. Pattillo) hung out, forcing Nikki Cugat (R. Mason) wider on the track. Nikki Cugat, Diamond Lane (K. Pope) and Diamond Dancer (A. Pattillo) raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Diamond Dancer revealed the gelding to have sustained a laceration to the near hind hock.


Race 4:

Class 1 Handicap - 850m
1st - Rapid Tricia; 2nd - Wonkavator; 3rd - Questify

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “She’s got her own way. She likes her own way. Can be a real bitch. So we’ve learnt to work around her. She has got ability. The heavy going didn’t help her last time (over 1200m, but we still just trying to work out her right distance. So we threw it in today (over 850m) hoping to learn more. But, like I say, there is no doubting the fact she has got ability.”

Apprentice jockey Matthew Palmer: “The filly has got a mind of her own. She has been a real handful at the track. I know that personally. The first start I won on her she threw me on the way back to the enclosure at Ipswich. So she can be a bit tardy, but Bruce (Hill) is doing a very good job with here. In the race itself she isn’t bad at all. She’s good in fact and she is very consistent, but the biggest thing is she is just tough. She does everything you ask her to. She’ll go through her grades.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Nano (J. Murphy) was slow to begin. After leaving the 300m, Wonkavator (M. Speers) shifted in of its own accord and made contact with the running rail on three occasions. J. Murphy, rider of Nano, was cautioned regarding her whip use on that mare in the straight. Anglingforsuccess (R. Hancock) raced wide throughout.


Race 5:

Class 4 Handicap - 1400m
1st - Eddie Rapido; 2nd - Star Touch; 3rd - French Move

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Laurie Manzelmann: “I’ve had the horse for four runs. I got the horse from my friend in Sydney, Wade Slinkard. We’ve probably got over one hundred horses off him. We’ve been with him for twenty years. Wade is a very honest horse-dealer. A very honest man! When I got him, I was confident enough to run him first-up over 1500m. He finished second there. He run into a good one in Encosta Tzsyu. After that he had a bit of bad luck and then a wet track. I saw this race up here and I thought I’d bring him back in distance to freshen him up a bit. I wasn’t worried about the distance.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Star Touch (G. Baker) over-raced during the early stages. Passing the 1000m, Subtle Glance (M. Speers) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Craiglea Maiden (J. Jones), which shifted in. J. Jones, rider of Craiglea Maiden, was advised to exercise more care in similar circumstances. Sneaky Squirrel (J. Piper) raced wide throughout. A post-race veterinary examination of Craiglea Maiden, which raced below expectations, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.


Race 6:

Open Handicap - 1300m
1st - Nellie Got There; 2nd -Spy Zaim; 3rd - Geebeetee

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Jason McLachlan: “I do believe the horse is a miler, but he was fresh up after a spell and they all had their chance to beat him. We know how consistent he is. We know he fights – and all that helped him get the result again today.”

Jockey Damian Browne (who completed a double on the day): “He was probably the class performer in the race. He is a town performer. I was a little bit worried. Jason (McLachlan) said he may be a run short and that I should just save him for the last bit if I could. I was able to do that and he was able to give that little bit in the last fifty yards which really counted.”

The night before, the Bruce and Jason McLachlan training partnership saddled three winners at the night meeting at the Sunshine Coast. All of those stables winners – Star Of Palazzo, My Whippy and Carry On Doctor - were ridden by Nathan Evans. Evans who also brought home a winner (Lapetus) for trainer Paddy Cunningham to leave the meeting with an outstanding haul of four winners on the night.

As a partnership, the McLachlans have now won thirty-three races at the Sunshine Coast (where they are dominant performers and runaway Premiership leaders). Considering that they had their first winner as a partnership at the track on November 9 last year (just four months ago), their flow of winners has been exceptional. They have also, according to Jason McLachlan, won “about eight or ten in town,” while their biggest success came when they won the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast with Phelan Ready.

Co-trainer Jason McLachlan: “I don’t think there would be anyone in Australia who’s done what we’ve done in terms of number of winners in the last four months. I tell you what I think it is. It is the new and the old. Like, my dad has taken a lot of my ideas – I’ve worked all over the world, in England, in France – he’s taken a lot a new ideas on board. Having said that he’s forgotten what I still have to learn. He’s got the tried and true method and a lot of things I do have helped as well, so it really is a case of a good combination working well together.”

The appearance of the Liam Birchley trained Rags To Riches at the Sunday meeting at the Sunshine Coast raised a few eyebrows. The gelding’s last two starts were in the Villiers and the Bernborough where he acquitted himself with some distinction against quality opposition. Rags To Riches was first-up here and Birchley put apprentice Mitchell Speers up to take 2kg off the steadying burden of 63.5kg that Rags To Riches had been set to carry.

Trainer Liam Birchley (speaking before the race): “We brought him here because there are not too many options for this horse. He needs to freshen up and 1200m is just a waste of time for him. He just hasn’t got the speed to make any use of it. But we need to start him off somewhere. He’s got to go to a mile next start so, he has just got to have a reasonable run over a reasonable sort of distance we can step up from next time. I don’t know how he’ll go here, but he’s going terrific in training, probably just short of his best. We are hoping this run, which is obviously part of a bigger plan, can get him back up to where he needs to be.”

Rags To Riches finished fifth, 2,30 length behind the winner Nellie Got There, who carried 4kg less than the Birchley trained runner.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed for a short time due to Doonan Dancer having to be replated behind the barriers. Spy Ziam (S. Galloway), Special Voyage (J. Jones) and Rags To Riches (M. Speers) were tightened for room on jumping away between Eleventh Command (C. Gilby) and Doonan Dancer (A. Pattillo), which shifted out. Near the 700m, Lombardy (K. Pope) raced in restricted room between Geebeetee (N. Thomas) and Rags To Riches (M. Speers), which shifted in, resulting Lombardy having to be steadied. M. Speers, rider of Rags To Riches, was severely reprimanded and advised to ensure he makes more effort in similar circumstances to keep his mounts straight.
When questioned regarding the performance of Rags To Riches, M. Speers stated his instructions were to endeavour to position the gelding in a forward position, as per its usual racing pattern. He stated after beginning only fairly, Rags To Riches was unable to muster early speed despite his urgings and settled in a three-wide position further back in the field than anticipated. M. Speers further stated that when he placed his mount under pressure approaching the 500m, the gelding responded to his riding, and whilst near the 350m he accidentally dropped his whip, the gelding continued to find the line well under hands and heels riding. Stewards noted the explanation tendered.


Race 7:

Class 1 Handicap - 1600m
1st - Brief Intention; 2nd - Lee Kova; 3rd - Sir Reason

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Laurie Manzelmann (who completed a double on the day): “I’ve had him four months and this is only his fourth run. He’s had a lot of problems – feet problems. He’s taking him a long, long time to get to this stage. I’ve got to look after his feet all of the time. The problems are not a thing of the past. They have to be managed all of the time. I’ve got a very good farrier. “

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sigurd (A. Pattillo) was slow to begin. Pop Legend (K. Yoshida) knuckled on jumping away. Sir Reason (M. Paget) raced wide throughout. A post race veterinary examination of Sigurd, which raced wide throughout, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities

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