DOOMBEN REVIEW (WED, APR 01)

A review of the meeting held at Doomben on Wednesday, April 1.

STEWARDS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT EXTRACT:
From ITC meeting, 9.3.09.
Stewards today concluded an adjourned inquiry into the activities of trainer K. Deacon prior to the running of race 1 on the above date. Mr K. Deacon pleaded guilty to a charge under AR178(e)(i), in that he did administer to Flirty Flossy prior to the running of race 1 an oral medication whilst in the vicinity of the horse-float area. Mr Deacon was fined the sum of $500. When assessing penalty, stewards took into account Mr Deacon's good record.


Race 1:

C, G & E Class 3 Handicap - 1020m
1st - Ben Hur; 2nd - First Night Fever; 3rd – Earnshaw

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “That’s my fifth winner in a row. I had one at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday ... three at Ipswich yesterday and now this one today. We still don’t know why this horse fell or how he fell (two runs back). He was about a length-and-a-half in front. He somehow got on top of the fence and couldn’t come off it. It was a funny sort of incident. He wasn’t hurt then, but we gave him a spell anyway. He’s had heaps of problems in his time. He’s had a couple of minor ops on his legs. Anyway we gave him a spell and gave him a barrier trail. In one of his barrier trails – and he can be bad in the barriers - the horse beside him threw himself underneath him, which didn’t help matters. He missed the start by about six lengths last time (when first-up, after a seven month layoff). He missed the start and he just sort of got back. It was a wet track and he just didn’t want to go. The only thing we did say beforehand today, was that we were just going to ride him out of the barriers and make him lead. We needed to get his mind back on the job, because he is a fair horse when he puts his mind to it.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “I said to Baz, I want to get him out today. Being the good trainer that Barry is, he leaves most things up to me. Mate, it worked. The horse is a schizophrenic. In saying that, mate, since his last run he has been working the place down. So we would have been disappointed had he not run well today. It was a good effort. He showed his true form today.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Ben Hur): 3.70 out to 5.00
Favourite (Mr Standfast): 2.50 out to 3.00. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mr Standfast (C. McIver), which was initially slow to begin, was further tightened for room at the start between First Night Fever (L. Cassidy) and Swords (J. Bowditch), both of which shifted ground. Leaving the 800m, Wonkavator (M. Palmer) improved on to the heels of First Night Fever and shifted out, forcing Swords wider on the track. Wonkavator and Swords then raced wide for the remainder of the race. First Night Fever (L. Cassidy) was inclined to hang out in the middle stages.


Race 2:

F&M Class 3 Handicap - 1020m
1st - County Tale; 2nd - Musically; 3rd - Miss Courtly

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelso Wood: “We bought her at Magic Millions for $150 000. She won her Maiden. Then she got a stone bruise. I got that right - she had a week off. She ties up a bit, you know. When I put her back on the track she tied up ... and she tied up three mornings in a row. I thought, oh well, I’ve treated her with everything you can ... I thought, well, all I can do is turn her out. I give her a month out in the paddock. Then she ran (and won) at Ipswich and she finished up getting a bruised heel. About three or four days after the race she was lame. Then I had to give her bloody time off again. I was horrified coming here in the truck that she was going to tie up on me again. But she was fine.”

County Tale completed a hat-trick of wins here. Jockey Damian Browne made the most of the pick-up ride, having replaced County Tale’s regular pilot Brad Pengelly, who was injured in a fall at Ipswich the day before this meeting.

Trainer Barry Baldwin’s impressive winning sequence (five successive winners) ended here when Shezasmith finished unplaced.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (County Tale): 2.70 out to 3.50.
The winner was the favourite. This result began a sequence which saw four favourites win in-a-row.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was initially delayed as a result of Montana Royale (A. Erhart) and Jester Rumble (J. Taylor) being difficult to load. The start was further delayed after Falvalea broke through the barriers and galloped for a short distance. Falvelea was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to start. Musically (S. Scriven) and Shezasmith (A. Taylor) were slow to begin. Martha’s Vineyard (B. El-Issa) and Chabeli (L. Cassidy) both began awkwardly. Leaving the 800m, Easy Silence (J. Jones) had to be steadied off the heels of Falvalea (D. Craven), which shifted in. Leaving the 600m, Shezasmith threw its head in the air and raced untractably for a short distance. Approaching the finish of the event, Shezasmith had to be steadied when that horse improved up towards the heels of the tiring Martha’s Vineyard (B. El-Issa). Easy Silence (J. Jones), Krisalo (Michael Palmer), Jester Rumble (J. Taylor) and Montana Royale (A. Erhart) all raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 3:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 1200m
1st - Side To Side; 2nd - Sir Mossman; 3rd - Razzled

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “The horse is doing a few things wrong and that is why I didn’t think he was good value at the price. Because he is still learning, we had no real plan in the running today. We were happy to let him be where he was comfortable.”

Apprentice jockey Amy Taylor: “There was a heap of scrimmaging at the half-mile. I didn’t want to get involved in that so I just let him run around them and he just kept finding.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Side To Side): 1.80 out to 2.20.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed after Tarmons broke through the barriers. The horse was recaptured after galloping 400 metres and after examination by the veterinary surgeon was cleared to start. There was a further delay to the start of this race after Kiss Kiss broke through the barriers. Kiss Kiss was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon and was declared a late scratching at 1.40 pm after an inspection found Kiss Kiss to be suffering an injury to the off-side eye. Perfect Glass (K. Pope) shifted out at the start, making contact with Coopers Comet (M. Heagney). Uberwald (J. Bowditch) began awkwardly and reared at the start, resulting in the horse losing ground.
Side By Side (A. Taylor) was slow to begin. Tarmons (J. Byrne), Side By Side, Uberwald and Perfect Glass all over-raced in the early and middle stages. Leaving the 300m, S. Scriven, rider of Razzled, was accidentally struck on the left hand by the whip of L. Rolls, rider of Schianto. Perfect Glass and Schianto (L. Rolls) raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 4:

2yo Maiden Handicap - 1020m
1st - Moncalieri; 2nd - Merry Moni; 3rd - Mark ‘N’ Spin

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brain Smith: “(Part-owner) Frank Tagg asked me to go to Sydney and buy him a yearling. He said, I want to buy an Oaks winner. I bought this one for $300 000. She is out of an Oaks winner (Mystic Chantry) by Encosta de Lago. She is a super, super, super filly. She is a really exciting filly. I won’t use the words, I’ve never had anything better, because I’ve had some great horses ... but she rates up there. It’s the first time I’ve had those colours on since Circle Of Gold. Isn’t it terrific? I bought Circles Of Gold for him (Frank Tagg). He said go to the sales and buy me another one like that. It looks like I might have got one. I was a bit worried about the draw, but Scott (Galloway) used her early and he used her on the turn ... he knew what he had. He’s a good judge. It won in a canter in the end. How does she know what she has got to do?”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “She’s got this massive, powerful stride which took her to the front ... and then she just loafed the last 100m. She’s always had big wraps on her. I expected her to perform like that. She is a bit out of the ordinary. I just gave her a squeeze and she let down so well. Nothing worries her. Prior to the race, I just thought the only thing that could beat her was a bit of greenness, being first-up. Luckily though, she was in there with a lot of other horses who were racing for the first time as well, so they didn’t know any better. Just on her ability alone, she was way too good for them.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Moncalieri): 2.10 out to 2.90 in to 2.70.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Moncalieri (S. Galloway) was tightened for room on jumping away between Rose’N’Cyn (Michael Palmer) and Mark ‘N’ Spin (J. Bowditch), which shifted out. Princess Priscilla (K. Pope) and Fiery Saturn (A. Pattillo) made contact shortly after the start.
An inquiry has been opened into the reason for Powerful Sphere (D. Griffin) and Princess Priscilla (K. Pope) being tightened for room when racing to the inside of Fiery Saturn (A. Pattillo) and Just Have A Go (J. Byrne) leaving the 900m. After taking evidence from the riders concerned and acting on their own observations, it was established that Just Have A Go shifted in and away from Merry Moni (C. Reith), which resulted in Fiery Saturn shifting in and crowding both Princess Priscilla and Powerful Sphere. Stewards, whilst noting the movement of both Merry Moni and Just Have A Go, were of the opinion that the riding of A. Pattillo, rider of Fiery Saturn, was a contributing factor and reminded him of his obligations to provide sufficient racing room to runners to the inside.
Silver Trump (J. Taylor) and Ella Daniela (Matthew Palmer) raced wide for the majority of the event.


Race 5:

3yo & Up Maiden Plate - 1640m
1st - Hindsight; 2nd - LucyRox; 3rd - Master Of War

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Wallace: “She was just crying out for ground.” (Hindsight stepped up here from 1300m to 1640m). “It was a pretty good run last time (when a long-neck third to Hello Boss first-up after a nine-and-a-half month layoff). She’ll go a lot further than this. I reckon she’ll go two miles.”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “I rode her a couple of times last time in and she placed in a $100 000 race ... in a three-year-old Fillies and Mares race. So she’s always shown ability, you know. She probably just needed a bit of time to mature. She needed the extra ground today ... and she’ll look for more. She’ll get up to 2000m.”

It should be remembered that Hindsight was deemed good enough to take her place in the Queensland Oaks last year. She finished unplaced, 7.80 lengths behind the smart Riva San.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hindsight): 2.20 out to 2.30.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Master Of War (D. Browne), Robson (B. Evans) and No Hurry (A. Taylor) made contact on jumping away. Licorice (Michael Palmer) was tightened for room at the start between Shake The Lantern (B. Stewart) and Master Of War, which shifted out. Blue Ego (J. Byrne) was slow to begin. Leaving the 1400m, Robson (B. Evans) had to be steadied off the heels of No Hurry (A. Taylor), which was taken in by Galactic Spirit (C. Reith). Near the 900m, Shake The Lantern (B. Stewart) over-raced badly at the heels of Hindsight (S. Galloway) and shifted out abruptly, forcing Robson (B. Evans) to be checked. Robson was then obliged to race wide for the remainder of the event. Trainer R Hawkswell was advised that a warning was being placed on the racing manners of Shake The Lantern. It was noted that the connections intend to remove the blinkers from Shake The Lantern in future. Near the 600m, Hindsight (S. Galloway) and Free Near Free (K. Banks) were tightened for room when racing to the inside of Shake The Lantern (B. Stewart), which shifted in. In the vicinity of the 400m, Hindsight (S. Galloway) attempted to shift out and in doing so made contact with Free Near Free (K. Banks). Passing the 200m, A. Taylor, rider of No Hurry, in an endeavour to improve shifted out, making heavy contact with Lucyrox (K. Pope). A short distance later, No Hurry was then tightened for room when racing between Shake The Lantern and Lucyrox. Stewards reprimanded both A. Taylor, rider of No Hurry and K. Pope, rider of Lucyrox regarding the matter. Dolphin Quest lost its off-fore plate in running.


Race 6:

Class 5 Handicap - 1640m
1st - Prend; 2nd - Showciti; 3rd - Little Imp

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jim Byrne: “I’ve ridden her a few times and I’ve won a couple on her. She can show a good turn of foot. Like today, everything worked out really well. She pretty much always had a clean run and she let down really nice which was good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Prend): 6.00 out to 7.00.
Favourite (Showciti): 2.40 out to 2.70. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Dignity Prince (S. Scriven) and One For The Road (A. Merritt) were slow to begin. Mardi Magrar (B. Evans) over-raced when leading in the middle stages of the event.
When questioned regarding the tactics adopted on Showciti, apprentice L. Rolls stated that the horse was somewhat slow to begin, and approaching the first turn at the 1400m he was obliged to ease as a result of Breaking The Rules shifting in to a position ahead of him on the rails, which resulted in Showciti settling further back in the field than expected. He further explained that leaving the 600m he felt that it was in the best interests of the horse to remain on the inside rather than angling his mount to a wider position on the track which would have resulted in Showciti racing very wide rounding the home turn. It was noted that Showciti was held up for clear running between the 400m and 200m. Apprentice Rolls' explanation was noted.


Race 7:

F&M Class 4 Handicap - 1350m
1st - A Little Dabl Doya; 2nd - Anachelle; 3rd - Western Pacific

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kenneth Deacon (who was saddling his first city winner): “She deserves her win. You’d like to have a few like her. She is that honest. She’s got that bad leg and that. She did a sheath in her tendon and she had a couple of years off over that. Then she got a lacerated eye and she was out for nine months with that. She just tries so hard. She is just so honest. She’s always there. I told him (Brent Evans) just to jump her out, get a position and ride her a bit quiet. She’s been having bad draws ... bad barriers. She’s had to be used up and, because of that, she has been finding that last 40m or 50m a bit hard on her. Today, we wanted to turn it around and have the last shot at them.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans: “We drew wide last time and we pressed forward and we had to use way too much to get across. Today we rode her more quietly and she just travelled well throughout. She was comfortable back there and when I let her down, she flew.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (A Little Dabl Doya): 4.00 out to 4.60.
Favourite (Anachelle): 2.50 out to 2.80 in to 2.60. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Savanna La Mar (C. Reith) and Craiglea Symphony (L. Rolls) was slow to begin. Savanna La Mar over-raced in the early stages and near the 1000m shifted out, forcing Craiglea Sympnony (L. Rolls) wider on the track. Craiglea Symphony was then obliged to race wide until approaching the 600m. Leaving the 500m, Key To Happiness (L. Cassidy) improved up on to the heels of Anachelle (C. McIver) and had to be steadied. Anachelle was disappointed for a run between Craiglea Symphony and Western Pacific leaving the 400m. Anachelle then had difficulty obtaining clear running until near the 200m. Near the 200m, Craiglea Sympnony was tightened for room between Western Pacific (M. Hughes) and Ladyswood (T. Pannell), both of which shifted ground. A post-race veterinary examination of Foxie Em revealed the mare to have bled from both nostrils. As this was the second time that Foxie Em had bled, trainer J. Byrne was advised that the mare would now incur a lifetime bar from racing.


Race 8:

CG&E Class 4 Handicap - 1350m
1st - Black Morgan; 2nd - Another Speights; 3rd - D'Elcatraz

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “I was just a little bit worried about the 1350m first-up (after a five month latoff). I was going to run him the other day over 1200m, but he drew an awful barrier so I pulled him out. He’s a nice horse. He’s had his share of problems over the years. He had leg problems in the early days. Last time we turned him out he cut his leg and he had to have three months off. That’s why he has been out so long since his last run.”

Apprentice jockey Joshua Jones: “He did a really good job first-up. We had a lovely spot early. We just had a little bit of trouble coming off the rails but, once he got out, he just accelerated and was just too good for them. He is going well and I think he can only get better too.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Black Morgan): 3.00 out to 3.40 in to 3.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Wings Of Seraph (M. Heagney) and You’re On Merv (J. Bowditch) were tightened for room on jumping away between D'Elcatraz (L. Cassidy) and Fantastic Movie (E. Wilkinson), both of which shifted ground. Another Speights (S. Scriven) and Yuketan (M. Hughes) made contact on jumping away. Wings Of Seraph (M. Heagney) and You’re On Merv (J. Bowditch) both over-raced in the middle stages. Black Morgan (J. Jones) was held up for clear running rounding the home turn. Near the 400m, Fantastic Movie (E. Wilkinson) shifted out to improve and in doing so made contact with Another Speights. App. J. Jones, rider of Black Morgan, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that near the 150m he allowed his mount to shift out when insufficiently clear of Thundershot and Fantastic Movie, which resulted in Thundershot and Fantastic Move being checked when racing to the inside of Another Speights. J. Jones was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 4 April and to expire at midnight, 13 April. Thundershot (D. Griffin) and Another Speights (S. Scriven) raced wide for the majority of the event.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed:
All winners, Martha's Vineyard, Galactic Spirit.

Bleeders:
Race 7. Foxie Em - Bled 2nd Bleed - Lifetime bar from racing.

Warnings/bars:
Race 5. Shake The Lantern - Racing manners - Warning.