SCST OCT 11 - SWORD OF DAMOCLES CARVES OUT A SOLID SUCCESS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Sunshine Coast, October 11, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 6m.
Class 4 Handicap - 1000m. Time: 58.38.
1 Sword Of Damocles; 2 Martha's Vineyard; 3 Star Of Minto.

The Jackie Crompton trained Sword Of Damocles settled in midfield early before getting to the outside in the straight and producing a long, sustained run to reel in the front-runner and surge on to a well-earned victory. It was copy-book stuff from jockey Tony Pattillo and the five-year-old gelding was up for each part of the challenge.

Martha’s Vineyard rushed away from her number one barrier and set about making every post a winning one. Martha’s Vineyard was still the target in the home straight and Pattillo set his sights on the front-runner and started a forward move from seventh place on straightening.

Sword Of Damocles is a long-striding gelding and he let down smoothly when asked. Martha’s Vineyard, for her part, was game enough, but her early effort just started to take its toll inside the 100m and she was unable to hold out the faster finishing Sword Of Damocles who hit the front 70m out to win going away by 1.30 lengths.

This was Sword Of Damocles’ fifth win from fourteen starts. The five-year-old also had three second place finishes to his credit.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sword Of Damocles (A. Pattillo) and Laurels (J. Wood) were tightened for room on jumping away between Gallant Pilot (J. Letherby) and Star Of Noosa (C. Priest), which was taken in by Belboah (M. Hellyer).

Near the 600m, Krugerrand (D. Browne) was checked when racing to the inside of Sword of Damocles (A. Pattillo) and Gallant Pilot (J. Letherby). Star Of Noosa (C. Priest), which was trailing, was also checked in this incident. Stewards deemed that Gallant Pilot hung in at this point despite the efforts of its rider to the degree that it forced Sword Of Damocles inwards, resulting in Krugerrand being tightened for room. Whilst not taking the matter any further, stewards did remind apprentice Letherby, rider of Gallant Pilot, of his obligations to provide sufficient racing room to runners to his inside.

Approaching the 100m, Star Of Minto (S. Katsidis) had to be steadied off the heels of Monashee Prince (A. Spinks), which shifted in under pressure.