SCST DEC 20 - LADY SELENE DELIVERS AT SHORT ODDS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Sunshine Coast, December 20, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
3yo Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-26.74.
1 Lady Selene; 2 Burj Dubai; 3 Teleboy.

The Bryan Guy trained Lady Selene had the credentials here and she duly delivered as favourite at the restrictive odds of $1.30.

Lady Selene was racing third-up here in her second prep and there was certainly nothing wrong with her previous two starts this time in. Even though she finished unplaced on both occasions she raced against the likes of Temple Of Boom and Swiss Rose (in the Mode Stakes) in those outings and this race represented an entirely lesser challenge.

The win was not as decisive as the betting odds suggested it might be, but the lightly raced three-year-old is still in a learning curve and did enough in this, her first run beyond 1200m, to suggest she can build on a race record which already boasts two wins from only five starts.

Jockey Joe Bowditch had Lady Selene perfectly positioned in third spot on the rail in the early part. Bowditch had to take a hold of the filly when she was inconvenienced at the 800m and the filly went back to fifth, but Lady Selene was soon back in a comfortable rhythm and she had little difficulty in regaining third spot as the field approached the turn.

Lady Selene brushed past Burj Dubai at the top of the straight and quickly set after the leader Teleboy. She reeled that one in easily enough to get to the front as early as the 300m. It was no ‘gimme’ from there though as Burj Dubai, who had latched onto the back of Lady Selene at the top of the straight, kept coming at the Bryan Guy trained runner, keeping her honest all the way to the line.

Lady Selene kicked on to win by 0.30 lengths from Burj Dubai. The early leader Teleboy stayed on to finish third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “Yeah, on class she should have won a bit better ... but then you look at the weights and she pulled a little bit hard through the race because they were walking ... got inconvenienced up the back when they went around her and things like that, you know.

“She’s won alright ... little filly ... 57 on her back ... she’ll improve first time over that ground ... no, she’s alright. It’s only her fifth start. She’s by Savabeel so she is bred to go a lot further too. We paid $40000 for her as a yearling. She’ll get that back.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Jamdit (M. Morris) and Seebohm (M. Palmer) were slow to begin.

Approaching the 1000m, Ali Jai commenced to over-race and shifted out off the heels of Pharonic (S. Katsidis), resulting in Burj Dubai (R. McMahon) being forced wider on the track.

For some distance approaching the 800m, Ali Jai (T. Huxham) shifted in and away from the heels of Burj Dubai (R. McMahon) and bumped with Pharonic on a number of occasions.

Approaching the 700m, Burt Dubai shifted in, resulting in Pharonic having to be eased and taken in onto Lady Selene, which was also tightened for room. Royal Brat, which was following, had to be steadied as a consequence. R. McMahon, rider of Burj Dubai, was reprimanded.

S. Katsidis, rider of Pharonic, which performed below expectations, explained he was instructed to either lead or settle in a forward position today, which he was able to do, however after being steadied approaching the 700m, Pharonic did not travel well and failed to stretch out when placed under pressure in the straight.

A post-race veterinary examination of Pharonic failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. Mr M. Trip, acting on behalf of trainer L. Birchley, undertook to advise stewards of any abnormality with the filly which may have had a bearing on today's performance.

T. Huxham, rider of the 5th placegetter, Ali Jai, was reprimanded for failing to weigh in for 5th.