FLEM NOV 06 - WALL STREET WINS IN A THRILLER

By Taron Clarke | Monday, November 8, 2010

Flemington, November 6, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 9m. Penetrometer: 4.72.
Emirates Stakes (Group 1) Open Handicap - 1600m.
Time: 1-36.73. 600m Sectional: 35.25. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Wall Street; 2 Dao Dao; 3 Chasm.
Margins: 0.1L x 0.1L

Star New Zealand galloper Wall Street claimed his first Australian Group 1 win in the $1m Emirates Stakes over 1600 metres at Flemington on Saturday.

After a slightly disappointing performance in the Group 1 Cox Plate behind champion galloper So You Think at Moonee Valley two weeks earlier, Wall Street was sent out favourite in the event in an open betting market at 6.00.

Trainer Jeff Lynds added the blinkers and a tongue tie to the son of Montjeu’s racing gear and the changes did the trick as the six-year-old scored the narrowest of victories over a wall of runners in a stirring finish to the final Group 1 of the Flemington Carnival.

Sydney based jockey Hugh Bowman again formed a formidable combination with the kiwi’s after partnering the Murray and Bjorn Baker trained Lion Tamer to a resounding victory in the Group 1 VRC Derby a week earlier.

Wall Street was purchased at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale in 2006 by Paul Moroney for $100,000. The first prize cheque in the Emirates stakes was $600,000, taking his career stakes earning to over $1.26m.

In one of the closest finishes on record, only three quarters of a length separated the first five horses over the line with the narrowest of margins separating Wall Street and Dao Dao who finished second for jockey of the carnival Craig Williams, with a nose back to Chasm in third.

Macau galloper Leun Yat Forever ran another Group 1 fourth, after his narrow defeat in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, finishing a nose behind Chasm.

Trainer Jeff Lynds intention is to test Wall Street in the clockwise direction of racing in the Sydney Autumn Carnival before a return to Moonee Valley for the 2011 Cox Plate.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jeff Lynds: “Highly delighted about another Group 1 winner for New Zealand. My good mate Murray (Baker) won the VRC Derby. They always say we're not up to it, but if we get a good horse we can compete.

“He's got a good turn of foot and it's a great pleasure to come and do this.

“He lost it at the start in the Cox Plate and we wanted to attack More Joyous at the 800 or 900 and we never got the opportunity, but that's the way it goes in our game.

“The addition of the blinkers helped … especially for the mile.

“We've come here many times before and I haven't had any luck, but things have gone right this trip.

“Paul Moroney selected the horse. The Moroney’s are great guys and unfortunately this one just slipped through the cracks, but that happens and they'll pick it up some other way.

“We're going to spell him and bring him back for the autumn and see how he goes right-handed and come back and have another crack at the Cox Plate.”

Jockey Hugh Bowman: “I was really pleased when I picked up the ride during the week and there's no doubt my success last Saturday might have had something to do with that.

“Jeff and I spoke at length about the horse. We expected to be in the first four or five but they seemed to go really hard early and I didn't want to stoke him up with those blinkers.

“He was pretty keen going to the barriers. I was able to settle him and that was the key to winning.

“I had a soft run early, but there was a lot of interference in front of me. It wasn't bad just horses being shuffled back in front of me and I just had to get him out into clear room.

“He actually got into a nice rhythm then and I was pretty confident at the furlong but they were coming from all sides at the post.

“It was a blanket finish. I was certainly at the top, but he really fought on and that's what you need … a horse that really wants to win and there's no doubt that this guy's like that.”

BEATEN JOCKEY FEEDBACK:
2nd – Craig Williams (Dao Dao) – “I felt like a genius when I got him across (from the wide barrier) and had some cover three wide. Then when the interference happened I got speared out on a limb. No doubt he should have won.”

3rd – Ben Melham (Chasm) – “He ran really well and it was a super effort to finish so close.”

4th – Michael Walker (Luen Yat Forever) – “It was a huge run. I thought they were getting away from him, but he kept on coming.”

5th – James Winks (Trusting) – “I rode him differently today and he had a real go. It was a good effort.”

6th – Kerrin McEvoy (Drumbeats) – “He never really got a clear run and should have finished closer.”

7th – Glyn Schofield (Snow Alert) – “It was a really good run.”

8th – Nash Rawiller (Sniper's Bullet) – “I was a bit disappointed with his run.”

9th – Dwayne Dunn (Palacio De Cristal) – “It was a rough race and she didn't enjoy great luck.”

10th – Corey Brown (Black Piranha) – “He was disappointing.”

11th – Michael Rodd (Sound Journey) – “Got involved in the early interference and almost fell. He was no chance after that.”

12th – Mark Zahra (Albert The Fat) – “Ordinary run.”

13th – Glen Boss (Captain Sonador) – “Felt comfortable in the run but never stretched out in the straight.”

14th – Allez Wonder (Michelle Payne) – “Never got into the race.”

15th – Craig Newitt (Gold Salute) – “Handy enough at the half way mark, but never went on.”

16th – Brent Evans (Rothera) – “I was racing tight and trying to get him off the heels of one but we ran out of room and they just spat him out.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Wall Street): 6.00 out to 6.50 into 6.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer J Thompson notified stewards that it was the stable’s intention to have Trusting ridden more positively today. Trusting was ridden accordingly.

Near the 1100 metres Sniper’s Bullet shifted out forcing Trusting wider on the track. Shortly after this Trusting shifted back in and clipped the heels of Sniper’s Bullet, this resulted in Black Piranha which was pulling hard shifting in and tightening the running of Captain Sonador, which in turn shifted in resulting in Rothera being checked severely and rider B Evans almost being dislodged.

Sound Journey which was following had to be checked severely and to a lesser extent Gold Salute and Drumbeats, which also had to be checked.

Stewards initially issued a charge against J Winks (Trusting) for permitting his mount to shift in near the 1100 metres leaving insufficient room for runners to his inside however the stewards accepted the evidence tendered by C Brown (Black Piranha) that due to his mount pulling hard and being unable to restrain off the heels of Trusting was the major contributor to the incident.

Whilst the stewards were mindful that the interference to Rothera was severe they could not be satisfied that J Winks was responsible for the incident and therefore did not proceed with the charge.

Dao Dao raced wide without cover.

B Melham (Chasm) was fined $400 for breaching the provisions of AR137(A)(5)(a)(ii) in that he used his whip on seven occasions in a forehand manner prior to the 100 metres four of which were consecutive.

When questioned regarding the tactics adopted on Albert The Fat today after having been ridden forward to lead, which is contrary to the gelding’s normal racing pattern, M Zahra explained that from the wide draw he was given two options based on how his mount jumped away at the start.

He added that given Albert The Fat had jumped away cleanly he elected to take advantage of this and go forward, he stated that had the gelding not begun well he was instructed to race back in the field for luck.

Subsequent to the race the Club’s veterinary surgeon reported that Rothera had sustained a wound to the near foreleg.

G Boss (Captain Sonador) advised that his mount felt short in its action. A subsequent veterinary examination revealed the horse to be suffering the thumps.

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