MV SEPT 11 - VENUS WORLD SCORES FOR WALKER AND JENKINS

By Taron Clarke | Monday, September 13, 2010

Moonee Valley, September 11, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.02.
4YO + Mares Handicap - 1200m.
Time: 1-13.67. 600m Sectional: 36.77. (Carrying 53kg).
1 Venus World; 2 Alpharari; 3 Falvelon’s Dream.
Margins: 0.4L x 0.2L.

Michael Walker landed his first Victorian metropolitan winner since relocating to Melbourne aboard the Cranbourne trained Venus World.

Trained by expat kiwi Brian Jenkins, Venus World made the jump from restricted company to land her first Saturday metropolitan win.

With only moderate form on the Geelong Synthetic surface, Venus World was sent out an unfancied commodity by oncourse punters.

The favourite for the event was the Tommy Hughes trained Miss Octopussy on the back of her previous campaign which included placing’s behind the highly promising Mick Price trained mare Dubleanny.

Jumping from the widest barrier of eleven, Walker tried to get the mare by Okawango to settle midfield, however he was caught four wide with no cover.

With only a moderate tempo being set up front by Big Spirit, Walker let Venus World travel up three and four wide to sit outside the leaders.

The favourite Miss Octopussy was a co-leader between Big Spirit and Venus World as the field raced past the 600 metre mark.

The field commenced to bunch as they made their way around the final turn and only four lengths covered the eleven mares.

Big Spirit, by virtue of the inside passage retained the lead around the turn but was strongly challenged by Venus World out three wide.

The favourite Miss Octopussy was being asked for the supreme effort by jockey Dean Holland and was starting to feel the pinch first up.

Venus World had reached the front at the 200 metre mark and under the urgings of Michael Walker did enough to hold off the fast finishing Alpharari and Falvelon’s Dream who did a good job to finish well for third after racing four wide throughout.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Jenkins: “She has always shown plenty of ability this mare. She ran third here in her third start to a couple of really good fillies, Altitude of Darley’s and another good filly.

“Michael (Walker) has been New Zealand’s top rider for many years. He is a good rider there’s no doubt. He got the ride through Dean Holland electing to ride Miss Octopussy, so that’s how Michael came to be on her.

“Michael rode her here Tuesday and she worked real nice … it was encouraging the work.

“Most of her races have been on the thorough track (Geelong Synthetic) and it doesn’t knock them around that much and she’s probably got another race or two in her.

“We might try and find a little bit of Black Type for her if we can.”

Jockey Michael Walker: “Anywhere you get a winner is important … whether it is a maiden race or it’s a good race.

“The horse to its credit did the job. I was just the pilot. I wanted to be mid-field and try and get a bit of cover, but we were going that slow and I jumped that good and the horse was doing it within itself.

“That’s why I elected to let the horse roll up to be three wide outside the leaders and I thought if I can stay as close as I can and keep the two inside of me tight that nothing will get through on the inside … so I only had to worry about what was coming on the outside.

“It’s probably a credit to Brian for getting me here to gallop her the other morning because I got a feel of the horse and what I needed to do today to be able to win.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Venus World): 26.00 steady.
Favourite Miss Octopussy 2.70 out to 2.80 in to 2.60. Finished fourth.

Horse to follow: The run of Falvelon’s Dream suggests that she may be in for a good campaign. After sitting three and four wide throughout on the tight turning 1200 metre journey, the Geni Gillis trained mare did enough to suggest that she may be able to pick up a mares race this time in, particularly if connections can find a suitable race in Adelaide.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Testa Monte was slow to begin.

Approaching the 400m, Miss Chatter and Alpharari both shifted ground and bumped.
Venus World raced wide without cover as did Avionics and Falvelon’s Dream.

Trainer B. Jenkins (Venus World) was severely reprimanded under the provisions of AR118A for adding a girth cover after the rider had weighed out.

Trainer Mr R. Hore-Lacy, trainer of Big Spirit, was of the opinion that the mare had to do too much work in the early stages from its wide barrier draw and this was the reason why it did not finish the race off. He also stated that Big Spirit had been in work for some time, and would now be sent for a spell.

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