EF SEPT 1 - RACING HEART’S WINNING RHYTHM

By Graham Potter | Sunday, September 2, 2012

Eagle Farm, September 1, 2012.
Track - Good 3, Rail out 1m.
Open Handicap - 2106m.
1 Racing Heart; 2 Topping; 3 Warrior Within; 4 Saint Encosta.
Time: 2-10.86. Last 600: 34.72.
Margins: 0.80, 1.60.

Racing Heart just keeps stepping to the plate with real intention and on Saturday at Eagle Farm he landed the twelfth win of his career when he outgunned the slightly more fancied Topping in a two-way battle down the home straight.

Allowed to run to the lead from the break, Racing Heart dictated the course of events to his own advantage. Topping sat second throughout … some two lengths off the leader then only a length back in the sweep to the home turn, but while Racing Heart allowed Topping to set his sights and take aim entering the straight, the leader retained enough fire-power of his own to be able frustrate every effort of Topping in the final run to the line to score by a decisive 0.80 lengths.

This was no less than Racing Heart’s ninth start in what is his fifth preparation. Instead of tapering off as might be expected, Racing Heart appears to be thriving on all of the action having notched up three wins, a second and a third placing in his last five starts.

The gelding now has the enviable overall record of having won twelve times (with another twelve minor placings) in a forty race career.

Racing Heart (Show A Heart - Miss Exec) is owned by G Pfitzner, S Spencer, K Marsh, G Coward, Action Racing Action T’Breds Pty Ltd, Action T’Breds Multi No 1, The Vegas Club, J Carr and W Robinson Synd.

The six-year-old gelding, who was bred by York Glade Pty Ltd, has now earned $423.950.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “It’s quite funny actually. His first race was a 1000m race and he won by five and I thought what I nice little sprinter we are going to have.

“That’s twelve wins now all the way up to over 2400m, so he has just been a great horse for his connections. He puts in.

“You’d like all races to pan out like that … it was pretty much how we wanted it to work out. I said to Kirk (Matheson) go out and make sure it is a genuine tempo. I said, I don’t want anyone coming around you. Then allow Chrissie Munce (on Topping) to come up and eyeball you because I know this horse loves a fight.

“If there was going to be a chink in Topping’s armour I thought it might have been the distance. We knew our guy would see it out. He’s won over 2400m. He’s rock hard fit. He’s feeling fantastic.

“It was a lovely ride by Kirk. He did a great job.

“Some of the owners were a bit keen to maybe go down to Wyong for the Cup, but we were happy to stay at home and keep on bumping these races off … and obviously using the 3kg claiming lads allows you to get in with a good weight.”

Jockey Kirk Matheson: “Rob (Heathcote) asked me to roll along a bit. He thought the rest of the field might think we would steady so I let him keep rolling and he got it pretty easy in front.

“I did have Topping come up outside us. I knew my one would keep fighting with a horse outside him. Rob said he would and that’s what he did.

“He was comfortable all the way. He did it easy.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Racing Heart): 3.80 out to 4.00 in to 3.70.
Favourite (Topping): 3.30 in to 3.00 out to 3.40. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Topping (C. Munce) jumped away awkwardly.

Contract Caterer (G. Cooksley) over-raced in the middle stages.

Deacon (M. Vance) was inclined to lay in under pressure in the home straight.

Buffett (P. Hammersley) hung out rounding the home turn and continued to do so when placed under pressure in the home straight.

A post race veterinary examination of Deacon revealed the gelding to have broken down in the off- fore tendon. Connections were advised that a veterinary clearance would be required for Deacon prior to its next race start.