EAGLE FARM REVIEW (SAT, APR 04)

A review of the meeting held at Eagle Farm on Saturday, April 4.

Weather - Overcast: Track - Heavy 10. Rail - out 5m for the entire circumference.

Race 1:

Class 6 Plate - 1826m
1st - Drumshanbo; 2nd - Dawns Queen; 3rd - Three Tenors

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Michael Palmer: “His run was good today. We just sat outside them and once we sort of got to the 500m, 600m ... he just started to quicken the tempo. When he straightens he just knuckles down and gets the job done really well. It was harder in the wet, it sort of took him an extra 100m, 150m to pick up, but once he gets into full flight ... I was confident the whole time ... but, once we got inside the 200m we were right. The way he lets down, you know, when he’s at he’s peak he is going to be hard to run down.”

This result completed a hat-trick of wins for the Michael Nolan, Michael Palmer, Drumshanbo trio. The three wins came in less than a month (all in Class 6 company) over distances ranging from 1818m to 2200m on good, dead and heavy going.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Drumshanbo): 1.50 out to 1.65.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Three Tenors (App A. Taylor) was slow to begin.


Race 2:

Fillies & Mares Class 6 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Welcome Site; 2nd - Superfly; 3rd - Savanna La Mar

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Reg Mackay: “She handled the going real well. She’s been one of the unluckiest horses I’ve put a bridle on. She’s always getting into trouble and I thought when she has a bit of luck and gets her way she can win, which she’s has done today. The kid gave it a good ride. I told him (Brent Evans) to sit her up behind them and finish off.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evens: “I just bounced her out and possied up one off the fence, in fourth place. I got a beautiful run, fourth, one off. It took a while to pick up. They never sprint in the wet. But, in the end, it was the wet that did all the favours for her. She was just too good for them in the wet.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Welcome Site): 21.00 out to 26.00.
Favourite (Savanna La Mar): 3.00 out to 3.40. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Donar Amoris (N. Evans) was slow to begin. J. Bowditch the rider of Makiling was reprimanded for allowing his mount to shift in approaching the 1000m when not sufficiently clear of Savannah La Mar (S. Scriven), resulting in that horse having to be steadied. Leaving the 1000m Welcome Site (App B. Evans) shifted in placing Best Of Ceedee (App Michael Palmer) and Hell Week (App L. Rolls) in restricted room. A short distance later Welcome Site, which commenced to race ungenerously, had to be steadied off the heels of Seething Duck (C. Reith), which shifted in.


Race 3:

2yo QTIS Handicap - 1200m
1st - Sniplaz; 2nd - Dancingwithangels; 3rd - Lively Lillie

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Brad Hearn (spokesman for the Liam Birchley stable): “A very similar run to the Gold Coast last week (where he won a feature by 4.75 lengths). He likes the sting out of the track and he’s a very tough horse. He had them beat today about 50 yards after the start. Actually the instructions were for him (Brent Evans) to ride him patiently, you know ... just to hang on to him as long as he could – but, I didn’t think he’d be at the hundred before he let him go. He’s a horse with a very bright future. One of his best attributes is how tough he is. From day one as a yearling, he’s just been one of our toughest two-year-olds. It’s the second time he has backed up too. I’m about 90 per cent sure he will be in the paddock on Monday. Come back as a nice three-year-old.”

Jockey Brent Evens: “It’s my second ride for the stable. My first ride won by about that far at Kilkoy. That was on a horse called Nude Etruscan. So that’s two for two from that stable. I could have left my whip in the jockey’s room. I never touched him until late and then I just rode him hands and heels. Nothing could go with him. The whole way I couldn’t hold him slow enough.”

Sniplaz has now won four out of his last five starts. These wins have come over distances ranging from 800m to 1200m, with his last two wins being achieved by a combined margin of 11.75 lengths.

Brad Hearn was on duty because trainer Liam Birchley was in Rockhampton, where he landed another feature two-year-old success with Arcup, who earned $73 000 for winning the Capricorn Sales Classic. Stable apprentice Chris McIver, who is from Rockhampton, made the trip back home to ride that feature race winner.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sniplaz): 1.40 steady.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Barramundi Jack (App Michael Palmer), Warrego (App S. Bogenhuber) and Fantastic Four (A. Pattillo) all jumped away awkwardly. Warrego over-raced for a short distance leaving the 800m. Warrego hung out rounding the home turn. Beach Model (L. Cassidy), when inclined to lay out rounding the home turn, shifted out making contact with the hind quarters of First Option (App J. Brown). A post race veterinary examination of Warrego failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 4:

NMW Handicap - 1500m
1st - Our Heart; 2nd - Supreme Best; 3rd - Willyclang

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Whittington: “No mate, I wasn’t confident with the heavy going. Quite honestly, I was confident until it got heavy. If it had been dead or slow, I was confident. But when it got heavy, no I talked myself out of it. I wasn’t confident he would handle the heavy. He’s as good a horse as I’ve ever had, but he has just got to put it all together. He had the draw here to overcome as well. Joe (Bowditch) rode him beautifully. Like I say, he is as good a horse as I’ve ever had, but he has had his problems. He had leg problems – the near-side front. He’s finally come out of it. We got it out about six weeks ago, raced at the coast on a heavy track. Scotty Galloway rode him and he said, put this horse on top of the ground and he just wins.
"I wasn’t going to run today, but the owner insisted that I run it. He said, I want him to run. If I’d had my way I would have scratched it because of the heavy track. When I spoke to the owner this morning on the phone, I said there are different heavy tracks. It is a different track here then it is down the coast or up at Coloundra. So we ended up running. But, mate, he’s got more ability than ... you can talk about other good horses I’ve had ... Picardi Run, Picablu and all of them ... this will leave them standing as far as ability goes, but he hasn’t got the same temperament.”

Jockey Joe Bowditch: “He went good, he jumped good, but I just couldn’t muster in the soft ground. It took him three or four strides and he was really battling in it early, so I thought I’m not going to ride him forward when he is struggling. So I come back and let him settle – let him travel, yeah - and from the about 700m he took me into the race nicely. He just wanted to lay in a bit once I got out wider. I gave him a couple of backhanders on the right, but then he drifted out and kept wanting to go out, so I had stop and straighten him. It was a pretty good effort. I saved a bit of ground around the corner then come out in the middle of the track in the straight, which seems to be playing a little better. He got through the wet ok, but I still think he would be better on a dry track. It’s pretty heavy out there today and a lot of them are struggling in it and he was one that just got through it alright.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Our Heart): 21.00 steady.
Equal favourite (Supreme Best): 6.50 in to 5.00. Finished second.
Equal favourite (Bernado): 4.60 out to 5.00. Finished eighth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Onion (App Michael Palmer) was slow to begin. Willyclang (S. Richardson) over-raced in the early and middle stages. He’s Full Of It (G. Snowden) laid out from a point leaving the 600m taking Start Thinkin’ (R. Goltz), Crowning Force (App B. Evans) and Bringelly (S. Seamer) wider on the track. Approaching the 400m Cotham (B. El-Issa) shifted out hampering He’s Full Of It. Bringelly raced wide throughout. When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Bernado, jockey Matthew Palmer stated that although the gelding has previously handled rain affected going, he was of the opinion that the horse had failed to handle the extremely heavy track conditions today and as a result proved disappointing. Stewards noted his explanation. A post race veterinary examination of Bringelly failed to reveal any abnormalities.


Race 5:

3YO QTIS Handicap - 1400m
1st - Notevenow; 2nd - Goldfinger; 3rd - La Bella Luisa

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “All the owner wanted was a horse by Umatilla. We got this one for 12 000. We bought him as a yearling. He’s been an honest, little horse. He’s come back from racing against older horses, giving them weight and running second. He was carrying 56.5kg against older horses on slow tracks .Today he came back to three-year-old race, against his own age, and got in with 3kg less. He’s run second on a slow track before, he handles it ... so everything’s good.”

Jockey Scott Galloway: “At the 500m, I had him in my hands and he was slipping on me a little bit, so I just let him go and stride a bit more freely up around the two leaders. Once he started to lengthen his stride, in that going, he was a lot more comfortable. He’s the type of horse who’s not a sit and sprint, so I wanted to get going on the corner. He loves the wet and, you know, he’s been racing against older horses with bigger weights so he was back to his own age group today, which helped make the difference.”

Notevenow has finished either first or second in six of his eight starts.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Notevenow): 11.00 out to 13.00.
Favourite (Moulin Lady): 4.80 out to 5.50 in to 4.80. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rock Rave (App S. Bogenhuber) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Satula (D. Craven) also jumped away awkwardly and shifted in making contact with the hind quarters of Macedon (App B. Evans). A Little Knowledge (C. Reith) and Qwerty (App L. Rolls) made contact on jumping away. Casholet (Matthew Palmer) was inclined to shift ground outwards under pressure over the concluding stages. Approaching the 200m Rock Rave shifted out to obtain clear running and in doing so bumped River Perfume (S. Drake). River Perfume raced wide throughout event. When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of Macedon App B. Evans stated that when asked for an effort from the 800m his mount did not respond and he felt Macedon was not comfortable in the prevailing track conditions. Trainer L. Gough agreed that the horse may not have been entirely suited in the heavy going. Stewards noted their explanations. Heza Flashman lost a near-fore plate in running.


Race 6:

Fillies & Mares Handicap - 1200m
1st - My First Affair; 2nd - Michelle Cafea; 3rd - Rocklet

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Maryann Thexton: “She won her first race career-wise first up on a heavy track over 1200. Her best stats are actually on rain affected tracks. She’s so honest. I knew she was fit – you look at her and you can tell she is fit. But all credit to Jimmy (Byrne), because I let him choose how he wanted to ride her, and he said, I’ve just got to try and conserve here ... conserve her, conserve her ... and go late - and he did just that. So a lot of the credit to Jimmy for an impeccable ride.
"In two week’s time there’s another Listed Fillies And Mares 1200m race, which she’ll be aimed at ... and then a fortnight later she’ll go to the Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast. Further on, we’ll freshen her up. These three races are her prep, because we don’t know how good she really is, or isn’t, and we expect a lot of good mares to come up from down south, so we thought these three races would be ideal to try and Black Type this mare. This is her first Black Type win. It’s pretty exciting.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “She is a little bit soft-mouthed. The way she was going ... she dropped off the bit straight away ... she wasn’t going that great. As soon as I moved her to the outside she switched on. I could have waited and gone to the inside, but it was a straight run to the line in the end and as soon as she got to the outside she switched on and really powered to the line really good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (My First Affair): 5.50 out to 6.50.
Favourite (Rocklet): 2.70 out to 2.90 in to 2.80. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rocklet (L. Cassidy) was a little slow to begin. Spectacular Bird (J. Taylor) raced wide throughout. Rocklet lost a near-hind plate in running.
Stewards questioned jockey A. Pattillo regarding the tactics he adopted on Momentously today in that the horse settled further back in the field than on previous occasions. A. Pattillo stated that he had been instructed to ride his mount with cover and shortly after jumping Momentously when being restrained got its head up and he therefore became concerned that Momentously may over-race if bustled. A. Pattillo added that his mount again got its head up near the 1000m and raced ungenerously. A. Pattillo explained that it was due to this tendency that he did not attempt to hold a trailing position behind My First Affair (J. Byrne) near the 800m which then enabled Manic Monday (B. El-Issa) to take up that position resulting in Momentously settling further back in the field than he would have preferred. Trainer P. Hulbert confirmed the instructions and agreed that the horse's manners had resulted in it settling further back than anticipated.


Race 7:

Open Handicap - 1500m
1st - Eleda; 2nd - Go Cart; 3rd - Scattergun

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Guy (who completed a double on the day): “She a great little filly this, you know. She’s not big, but she’s a tryer. She’s tough. She’s really good. It was a big decision for the owners, because they opted to for this over the $100,000 race. We went to this because I thought the 1200 would be too short for her. Now she’s come out and bolting in. You only have to look at her record last preparation, you know. She won six out of seven. She’s a good filly.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “The track is extremely heavy. I knew they would fan out in the straight. It was just a matter of how wide I could get. I thought I was wide enough until the other horses swooped past me and then I thought, well maybe I wasn’t wide enough. But, as it turned out she handled the going a bit better than them in the end and stretched on. She did really well once she got into space. She showed plenty of ticker.”

Spare a thought for jockey Dean Tanti. Tanti is Eleda’s regular pilot and he was the rider who enjoyed that superb, winning run with the mare in her last preparation. Tanti is currently out of action with a broken foot.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Eleda): 4.00 out to 4.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Yield Curve (J. Taylor) and Go Cart (R. Wiggins) were slow to begin. Scattergun (App A. Taylor) and Go Cart raced wide rounding the home turn and leaving the 400m Go Cart shifted out and made contact with Scattergun. Striking Victor (App B. Evans) and Public Nuisance (S. Galloway) raced wide throughout.
When questioned as to the disappointing performance of Hard To Catch App L. Rolls explained that the horse was not comfortable in the prevailing heavy conditions. Trainer P. Duff agreed and indicated that whilst the horse had raced well on rain affected tracks in the past he was of the opinion that Hard To Catch was not completely comfortable in today's extremely heavy surface. Stewards noted their explanations. A post race veterinary examination of Hard To Catch failed to reveal any abnormality.
A post race veterinary examination of Public Nuisance (S. Galloway) revealed the gelding to be suffering a poor post race recovery rate. The connections were advised that a veterinary certificate of fitness would be required prior to Public Nuisance racing again.


Race 8:

Colts, Geldings & Entires Class 6 Handicap - 1200m
1st - Carry On Doctor; 2nd - Pit Lane; 3rd - Little Stranger

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Eddie Wilkinson: “Without any speed in the race – he was the only real speed – there was never any concern about him being able to get across from the wide barrier. I didn’t really want to go to the fence anyway, because the track is pretty cut up. So I stayed one or two off the fence. He is a fit horse. He led them up. I saved him for as long as I could. I waited till the furlong before I really asked for an effort. I think that is what won him the race. He was just too good for them going to the line.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Carry On Doctor): 7.00 out to 8.00.
Favourite (Tears’N’Cheers): 5.00 in to 4.40. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Chevron Island (L. Cassidy) was crowded for room on jumping away between Laurie’s Lad (J. Cook) and Carry On Doctor (E. Willkinson), both of which shifted ground. Release Me (C. Reith) and Fond Bond (App L. Rolls) made contact on jumping away. Tear’s ‘N’ Cheers (B. El-Issa) was slow to begin.
Ulladulla (Matthew Palmer) raced in restricted room to the inside of Pit Lane (J. Byrne) for some distance leaving the 500m. Ulladulla (Matthew Palmer) raced wide throughout. A post race veterinary examination of Chevron Island failed to reveal any abnormalities.

STEWARDS RACE DAY SUMMARY EXTRACT:
Summary of action concerning thoroughbred horses:
Horses swabbed pre-race:
Dawn's Queen, Three Tenors, Lucky Toss, Best of Ceedee, Hell Week, Barramundi Jack, Lively Lillie, Crowning Force, He's Full Of It, La Bella Luisa, Spectacular Bird, Pimpala Gift, Go Cart, Victory Code, Eleda, Clavillo and Laurie's Lad.
Horses swabbed post-race:
All winners plus Dawn's Queen, Superfly, Dancingwithangels, Supreme Best, Goldfinger, Michelle Cafea, Pit Lane and Go Cart

Warnings/bars
Race 7. Public Nuisance - Poor post race recovery rate - Vet Cert. - LR36(b)