DOOM DEC 09 - FLY TO WIN ON A ROLL

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Friday, December 11, 2009

Doomben, December 9, 2009.
Track - Good 2. Rail - out 11m.
Class 5 Handicap - 1660m. Time: 1-39.06.
1 Fly To Win; 2 Incendio; 3 Bugsytwoshoes.

Trainer David Murphy backed his judgement that Fly To Win would see out the mile trip and he went home with a winner - and what a clinical win it was.

Under a confident ride from apprentice jockey Michael Hellyer, Fly To Win settled in fourth place early, racing in midfield in a compact field. Hellyer pushed the mare up to third in the sweep to the turn. She was up to second place on straightening and she then swept straight past the Fielding to claim the lead early in the straight.

From there, it was ‘race over’ as the five-year-old stretched out in commanding fashion to have the race well within her keeping long before she crossed the finishing line. The 3.80 length winning margin aptly sums up the superiority Fly To Win displayed on the day.

This was Fly To Win’s second successive victory and his third win from her last four starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer David Murphy: “Yeah it was a good win over at Eagle Farm the other week. I was confident she would get a mile and she did. She’s done it well too.

“It’s her first try at the mile ... and you don’t really know till you try them, but I was confident of getting the mile. Michael (Hellyer) rode her a treat. He rode her an absolute treat. I have given her five runs now and she has won three of them. She come from up north and she seems to like it down here. She has raced in Melbourne, Townsville, Mackey, Cairns. So she is going good and we will just see how she pulls up.”

Jockey Michael Hellyer: “Huge win. Obviously the mile was the question. She has been over the mile once and failed and even over 1500m and failed. That was with her previous owner. But look, I just can’t believe the enormous job Dave (Murphy) has done with the horse. I go and ride for him once a week for him. I never ride the mare in work, but he tells me every week how good she is going.

“The owners and I were questioning the mile, but Dave came out and said this will just win over the mile here. There was no more confident person than Dave was.

“I came around the home turn and he told me to go around them but, you know, I thought I could sneak through the rail and peel out. I was going half-pace coming around the home turn and I just thought at the top of the straight, how far is this thing going to win. And she won by nearly what... four lengths?

“I think there is only one thing to do with her now and that is to take her to town. She went to a Saturday class two starts back, but drew awkward and had to get a bit further back than where she usually is. But I think if Dave takes her over the mile, you know, over at Eagle Farm or even here she is going to be very competitive. I tell you what, she has improved a hell of a lot.

“Look she is getting better every start she has had. She won well in town last start. Unfortunately I didn’t get to ride her. When I ran midfield in town on her (two runs prior to this outing) it was still a good run. She made a lot of ground up she just got further back than she wanted.

“When I won on her at Caloundra over 1400 (three runs back) she did the same thing. She won by about two lengths there, but every start she is just improving. I just think now is the time to step her up to into a mile in Saturday class again. I tell you what, she has been good to me. Dave and the owners have been good to me too. So yeah, it’s awesome.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Fly To Win): 4.80 out to 6.00.
(Bugsytwoshoes): 2.40 out to 2.70. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Charlotte Courtney (S. Katsidis) attempted to buck shortly after the start. Stewards ordered that Charlotte Courtney must trial to the satisfaction of stewards prior to racing again.

Approaching the 1300m, Incendio (K. Wharton) was forced to race in restricted room for a short distance to the inside of Charlotte Courtney (S. Katsidis), which shifted in and away from Diamondsaucash (M. Radecker). Diamondsaucash raced three wide throughout.