SCTC JUL 19 - FIRST-UP WIN FOR VAN RUUD

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Sunshine Coast, July 19, 2009.
Maiden Handicap - 1000m. Time: 59.64.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 5m.
1 Van Ruud; 2 Jillilikes; 3 Trickett.

Van Ruud resumed here for a new stable following a seven month break from action and the Steele Ryan trained gelding did enough to score a hard-earned first-up win. This was his first success and it came in his fifth career start.

Unable to get in from a wide draw, jockey Stathi Katisidis nevertheless always had Van Ruud in a competitive position and the three-year-old was perfectly poised to strike when the field straightened for home. Van Ruud had to battle the combined effect of a hard run and a long layoff as much as he had to cope with the opposition in chase home, but he stuck gamely to his task and reeled in Jillilikes in the closing stages to secure a grinding win.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Steele Ryan: “It was previously trained by Peter Moody in Melbourne. I’ve probably had him in twelve weeks now. I just left it up to Stathi from that draw. It showed a little bit of speed in a trial the other day ... not a great deal. I said if you can get a three deep trail it would be nice. We tried him in blinkers the other day and he galloped well in blinkers so we kept them on. He did well ... and he’ll win a few more too, don’t worry.”

Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “He was a little bit slow out of the gates. There wasn’t much speed in the race. We were probably five deep in the run ... no cover ... might have got in to four deep at one stage. He probably ... he was a bit unfit today ... he’s run might have ended probably 300m out and with the 58kg and from covering too much ground he was pretty tired. To his credit, he’s a pretty good horse, he dug deep and fought on and won. He made up three lengths as well. Very good win. Good horse!"

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Van Ruud): 4.60 out to 5.00 in to 3.50.
Favourite (Brave Gal): 2.50 out to 3.00. Finished ninth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT.
Volant Cheval (M. Morris) began awkwardly and shifted in, making contact with Moringa’s King (C. Priest). Sky Blond (S. Kennedy) was tightened for room on jumping away between Mayjar Ben (G. Geran) and Brave Gal (J. Byrne), which shifted out. Thereabouts (N. Thomas) was slow to begin. Approaching the 700m, Sky Blond (S. Kennedy) and Moringa’s King (C. Priest) came together and made contact. Near the 50m, Mayjar Ben (G. Geran) improved up on to the heels of Brave Gal (J. Byrne) and shifted out, causing The Lady Is Mine (M. Radecker) and Moringa’s King (C. Priest) to be inconvenienced. Van Ruud (S. Katsidis) raced wide for the majority of the race. Ay Cee (A. Badger) and Thereabouts (N. Thomas) were inclined to hang out for the majority of the event.