GOLD COAST JAN 7 - MAGIC TARTAN FLIES HOME

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 8, 2012

Gold Coast, January 7, 2012.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
NMW Handicap (Fillies & Mares) - 1200m.
1 Magic Tartan; 2 Rhapsodic; 3 Bingo Rose; 4 Geblitzt.
Time: 1-09.00: Last 600m: 34.50.

This time around the Patinack weekly Metropolitan winner came in the form of the Magic Albert filly Magic Tartan, who stormed home from well off the speed to get the better of Rhapsodic over the final 100m.

The two main combatants were both well back when the field turned for home.

Rhapsodic was back along the inside behind a wall of horses. She had to switch out early in the straight and then again had to angle out coming through the 200m. The chestnut was always up for the task though and she strode forward once in the clear and took the split between Karanja and Bingo Rose to hit the lead with 100m left to run.

All this time Magic Tartan had been eating up the ground with an uninterrupted run as the widest horse on the track and the timing of his effort was good enough to get her to the front just two strides from the line.

The trainer attributed the firm track as a major factor in the deserved turnaround of fortunes of Magic Tartan, who is now a four time winner from fourteen starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Thompson: “In the early part of the run the drop in distance probably didn’t help her because it was out the back, off the bit … chasing, but the good speed in the end did help because she was able to get home over the top of them.

“I think back on the firm track is probably the biggest plus. The last couple of runs, it’s been a bit soft and she hasn’t liked it at all.”

Jockey Tim Bell: “The drop back in distance (from 1350 to 1200m) probably helped the horse.

“If you look at her previous runs she’s always hit the line over a shorter distance. There at the last start I was a bit disappointed with the way she hit the line with an easy run.

“I think she is just a horse that has got to sit off a hot speed and today was a perfect example of that.

“Hot speed … she just sat back in the field and won like she was entitled to do.

“It’s an important two winners for me so far today.” (This win followed on Bell’s success on Mr Light Blue earlier in the day). “I think I’m riding pretty well and, luckily for that, because today is my first day without a claim.

“Two winners and only half the card gone. Hopefully there is another one in there for me somewhere.”

*That was not to be. Bell had to settle for two winners on the day (an honour he shared with Glen Colless and Paul Hammersley). That success was soured slightly by the eight meeting suspension he picked up on a careless riding charge aboard Pear Tart in the sixth race.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Magic Tartan): 5.00 in to 4.00 out to 4.40.
Favourite (Geblitz): 5.00 out to 5.50 in to 4.00. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Geblitzt (P. Hammersley) and Rhapsodic (E. Wilkinson) were severely hampered at the start when tightened for room between Lightfeet Lady (App M. Wood) and Hidden Woman (C. Munce), both of which shifted ground.

Rhapsodic was unable to secure clear running in the home straight until after passing the 200m and when shifting to the outside of the heels of Karanja (Matthew Palmer) was inclined to lay in and became awkward on the heels of that runner.

Hidden Woman was obliged to race four wide throughout the event.

Getyourown (N. Thomas), Karanja (Matthew Palmer) and Ty Seeker (J. Ford) all raced wide throughout the event.

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