SCST SEPT 20 - SWELL SCORES HARD FOUGHT VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sunshine Coast, September 20, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 2m.
Class 2 Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-12.28.
1 Swell; 2 Lucky Spin; 3 Joburg Angel.

The Jason McLachlan trained Swell raced in second place and tracked the leader Reassuring to the turn. Reassuring kicked on early in the straight, but Swell swept to the lead at the 200m. The job was not done yet though and Swell had to be hard ridden by jockey Jim Byrne as a wall of horses threatened to snatch the result away from him. In the end Swell got home by just under half a length to complete back-to-back victories and take his race record to three wins from ten starts.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Swell): 6.00 out to 8.00.
Favourite (Lucky Spin): 3.50 out to 4.40. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Lucky Spin (M. Cahill) was slow to begin. After passing the 1000m, Lucky Spin (M. Cahill) shifted in and brushed Monchenglabach (K. Pope) on a number of occasions. Caucus (C. Reith) was inclined to hang out in the early stages and after passing the 900m shifted out abruptly, hampering Frenardi (I. Coombes), which was forced wider on the track. Tanzill (M. Heagney), Monchenglabach and Joburg Angel (L. Appo) over-raced in the middle stages.

Rounding the home turn and in the early part of the straight, Monchenglabach and Lilly Of The Field (D. Browne) was held up and unable to improve. Over the concluding stages, Lilly Of The Field (D. Browne) was disappointed for a clear run between Lucky Spin (M. Cahill) and Swell (J. Byrne), both of which shifted ground.

Jockey J. Byrne pleaded guilty to a charge under AR135A(5) in that when he rode Swell in race 7, he did use the whip on that gelding on seven consecutive strides. J. Byrne was fined $200.