EF OCT 10 - CLASS RISE NO PROBLEM FOR LOVES A CHALLENGE

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, October 12, 2009

Eagle Farm, October 10, 2009.
Class 6 Handicap - 1600m. Time: 1-35.35.
Track - Good 3. Rail out 1m.
1 Loves A Challenge; 2 Shooting Scene; 3 Mr Orient.

Loves A Challenge lived up to his name when he produced a powerful finish to win more easily than the 0.75 length winning margin suggests.

Jockey Ryan Wiggins positioned the four-year-old gelding in midfield off a fair speed set by Puccini for much of the race. Wiggins was still weighing up his options halfway up the straight. In the end Wiggins had no choice but to switch wider around the heels of the top weight Mr Orient who was sprinting well to the line.

Mr Orient was the only runner presenting a challenge to the Brian Smith trained runner. Shooting Scene had been produced at seemingly the right time and he hit the front looking a likely winner, but Loves A Challenge was now settling to his task and he finished over the top of Shooting Scene to get back on the winning trail after having finished second in his previous two starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brain Smith: “The second place finishes have unbelievable! But you know when you’re running second and ah...like yesterday at Port Macquarie we ran second yesterday (with Encosta Tzsyu in the Port MacQuarie Cup) ... I was happy you know, because when you’re running second and your horses are running to the line, even from bad draws, you know you horses are going good. You know, I am getting to be an older trainer now, but I enjoy good rides and having your horses firing.

“I wasn’t confident, but the horses are improving so you are stepping up in grade and hoping they will fulfil their promise. They don’t bridge the gap in class unless you try them, do they? You must always let them loose. Look how the horse has tried. I am very happy for Ryan Wiggins, with his brother having that bad accident yesterday. He’s in serious trouble - his brother in Sydney.”*

Jockey Ryan Wiggins: “Yeah, it only his second go over the distance and he was never going to get beaten today. That’s the thing about him. He travelled well and when I really asked him to lengthen out he did well. The speed was good and it gave me a bit of time to relax him and put him behind them and it was just a matter of getting him out. It was a bit hairy there for a second, but once I did get him out he stretched out well.

“Brian has always said he would get a little bit further. He’s got a high opinion of the horse. I just hope the horse can goes places.

“Yeah, I had a bit of a mix up with my rides. I was actually supposed to go down to ride the horse down at the (Gold) coast today, because I really wanted to ride the horse... yeah, this one, Loves A Challenge.” (Loves A Challenge was also nominated for a Class 3 event over 1800m at the Gold Coast). But Brian (Smith) decided to bring it to town and I was lucky enough that most of my other rides didn’t accept. I only had the one other ride down the Coast, so I had the choice of going down there or up here. He decided to run the horse here and I could still ride the horse, you know. I normally ride Onalar too, so it (the mix-up) cost me a bit. But it was a good win.”

*Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins, brother of jockey Ryan Wiggins, was seriously injured in a fall at Gundagai on Friday. Lovelock-Wiggins was aboard Distant Fields which fell heavily when running as a well- supported favourite during a 1400m maiden event. His injuries reportedly include a fractured skull and jaw and broken fingers.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Loves A Challenge): 10.00 out to 11.00.
Favourite (Naadji): 3.30 in to 3.00. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Naadji (S. Katsidis) was slow to begin. He’s Some Eagle raced wide in the early stages of the event.

Leaving the 300m He’s Some Eagle (J. Bowditch) had to be steadied when momentarily tightened between Shooting Scene (App M. Hellyer) and Pass The Bubbly (P. Hammersley), which had a tendency to lay in.

Stewards sought an explanation from S. Katsidis in regards to the disappointing performance of Naadji. S. Katsidis stated that he had been instructed to position Naadji one off the fence in a rearward position and commence to improve his position from the 800m. S. Katsidis stated that the horse began awkwardly and in an endeavour to comply with instructions he attempted to move Kings Artist (C. Reith) out at the 1000m to take up a one off position however, Naadji was not travelling well enough to hold a position one off the rail and Kings Artist forced him back onto the running rail.

S. Katsidis further stated that the horse did not finish the race off today as expected. Trainer's representative Mr M. Campbell indicated that the stable was unable to offer any explanation for the disappointing performance other than the horse may not have backed up from its first up effort at Doomben on 26 September 2009. As trainer B. Laming had to leave the course immediately after the race stewards intend to question him at a later stage.

Post race veterinary examinations of Puccini (J. Byrne) and Naadji failed to reveal any abnormalities.