IPSW OCT 01 - NO RANSOM, RAINY KNIGHT DEAD-HEAT

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 2, 2009

Ipswich, October 1, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Maiden Handicap (C & G) - 1100m. Time: 1-10.25.
1 No Ransom/Rainy Knight; 3 Mr Boogiewoogie.

The judge couldn’t separate No Ransom and Rainy Knight at the line in this opening event on the card at Ipswich.

The two runners had vastly different runs in the race. Rainy Knight had stalked the front-running Vencedor throughout, sitting just on the outside of the leader applying pressure. By way of contrast, No Ransom suffered interference at the start and was left facing an uphill task from the very beginning.

The latter was still eighth, some five to six lengths back on straightening as apprentice jockey Michael Hellyer set sail for home on Rainy Knight at the head of the straight. The Ron Macrae trained runner immediately gained the initiative, but the well fancied Looks Like Deano quickened with him looking to fashion a run on the inside.

Rainy Knight held off that challenge, but then had to deal with another threat. The fast finishing No Ransom had taken a little while to build momentum but he found an extra gear inside the final 100m to flash home to match Rainy Knight at the line.

... and there’s one for the notebook. No Ransom had Mr Boogiewoogie in tow as it flashed down the outside. Mr Boogiewoogie was behind No Ransom on the turn and he followed every move of No Ransom down the straight, putting in every bit as good a run as the joint winner, without getting a result.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Alan Bailey (trainer of No Ransom): “He is an immature sort of horse. We bought him in New Zealand and we gave him a couple of runs on the bog tracks. He wanted a bit of time to mature so we gave him plenty of time. That’s his first run back.

“He should have won easy. He got bumped at the start and put out till virtually last after the start. It was one of those things you could say, a good thing beat, but that happens doesn’t it. At least he got a share of it.”

Ron Macrae (trainer of Rainy Knight): “He showed some potential last time in, but the penny hadn’t dropped with him then. This time it has. His last run here (when finishing tenth, back in May) he got knocked down that day. He had a bad alley. So I put him out and gave him more time.

“When he came back I took him to Eagle Farm and he won a trial there pretty well ... and this is his first run back. He’s going to be handy little horse I think.”

Scott Seamer (rider of No Ransom): “At the start the horse on his outside came across and tightened him for room and I had to check him out of it, yeah. Basically we were a long way further back than we had planned to be. We were going to be in the first three.

“Once he got balanced, after another furlong, he tracked up nice. We just came to the outside and he let down real well. I thought he might have just got there on the line, but that’s just the way it goes. He went well and he’s going to improve each start he has.

“Alan (Bailey) has got a good pool of lightly raced horses. They all can go well. Most of them are well bred and cost a little bit of money. They’re just starting to show their potential.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (No Ransom): 2.10 in to 1.20.
Winner (Rainy Knight): 5.00
Favourite (Looks Like Deano): 1.90.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shortly after the start, No Ransom (S. Seamer) had to be checked when tightened for room between Carry The Gift (W. Clasohm), which was taken out by Rainy Knight (M. Hellyer), and Western Run (A. Pattillo), which shifted in after jumping away awkwardly.

A short distance later, Mr Boogiewoogie (B. Pengelly) had to be checked when tightened between Rainy Knight, which shifted in after making contact with Carry The Gift and Vencedor (J. Byrne), which was taken out by Looks Like Deano (S. Katsidis), which in turn was taken out by Dalsqualo (K. Forrester) when that horse shifted away from Plain Skar (D. Craven)

Soon after, Carry The Gift was severely tightened for room between Rainy Knight and Western Run, which shifted in when hanging. Looks Like Deano over-raced in the early and middle stages. Approaching the 400m, My Boy Homer (J. Wood) shifted in and brushed the running rail and became unbalanced.

Rounding the home turn and in the early part of the straight, Mr Boogiewoogie was held up and unable to improve. Near the 300m, Looks Like Deano shifted out to improve and made heavy contact with Western Run. Looks Like Deano then shifted to the inside of Rainy Knight and momentarily tightened the running of Vencedor (J. Byrne). Western Run raced three wide without cover throughout the event. Vencedor lost its near-fore plate in running. Jockey W. Clasohm, rider of Carry The Gift, was fined $200 for using his whip on a horse out of contention.

Macrae