DOOM MAR 27 - PYRAMIDS STANDS TALL

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Doomben, March 27, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 4.5m.
Class 6 Handicap (4yo and up) - 1350m. Time: 1-19.21. (Carrying 57.5kg).
1 Pyramids; 2 Age Of Heroes; 3 In A Bind.

The well-supported Pyramids (the gelding was punted in from 12.00 to 7.50) landed the plunge when getting the better of the race favourite Age Of Heroes in a driving finish to score by a long-neck.

The big grey started only fairly but jockey Jim Byrne pushed his mount forward and he got him to settle in sixth place as Wipeout set the early gallop.

Pyramids was in a closely packed group backed up behind the leader on straightening and he was playing his part in keeping Age Of Heroes three deep in the run. The latter though was unfazed by that complication and jockey Glen Colless made his move early in the straight where he sent Age Of Heroes out to have first track at the leader.

Age Of Heroes strode to the lead with 250m left to run with Pyramids still two lengths back and chasing hard. With jockey Jim Byrne hard at work, Pyramids started to eat into Age Of Heroes advantage. Building momentum with every stride, Pyramids first got alongside Age Of Heroes at the 100m mark before edging clear over the final 50m to claim a hard-earned victory.

This was Pyramids’ seventh success from twenty-one starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Jim Byrne: “As I said to Matty (Dunn) when I rode the horse last time (when finishing seventh, 5.50 lengths behind Rothera) he was never interested in his race. He didn’t really want to race.

“Matty said look he changed a few things with him this time. He changed his environment. He just changed what he was doing at track-work. Matty took him to different places and added the blinkers to him ... and that changed his attitude to racing and you saw the difference.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pyramids): 11.00 out to 12.00 in to 7.50.
Favourite (Age Of Heroes): 2.30 out to 2.60. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Teddy Bare (M. Hellyer) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out, forcing Pyramids (J. Byrne) out on to In A Bind (J. Taylor). Pyramids (J. Byrne) and Teddy Bare (M. Hellyer) bumped on jumping away.
Sirena Ligera (M. Speers) jumped away awkwardly.

Near the 700m, Age Of Heroes (G. Colless) and Pyramids (J. Byrne) made contact.

Passing the 500m, Sirena Ligera (M. Speers) shifted out from a position off the rails to improve and attempted a narrow run between Rattle ‘N’ Run (J. Bowditch) and Teddy Bare (M. Hellyer) where there was doubtful room and consequently had to be steadied and lost ground.

Cat Eyes (B. Pengelly) was inclined to lay out rounding the home turn, forcing Age Of Heroes wider on the track.

Approaching the 400m, Facundo (G. Lynch), when attempting to shift around the heels of Pyramids to improve, made contact with Unintentional (B. El-Issa), when that horse attempted to hold its position.

Near the 300m, Three Swallows (J. Wood) had to be checked when disappointed for a run between Wipeout (A. Spinks) and Cat Eyes (B. Pengelly), which after making contact with Age Of Heroes, shifted in away from that horse when under pressure.

Near the 250m, Sirena Ligera, when attempting to take a run between Rattle ‘N’ Run (J. Bowditch) and Shooting Scene (L. Rolls), was forced to race in restricted room for a short distance when Shooting Scene (L. Rolls) shifted out under pressure.

Passing the 200m, In A Bind (J. Taylor) was momentarily held up when disappointed for a run between Three Swallows and Pyramids.

Approaching the 100m, Rovert (O. Turpin) improved up on to the heels of the tiring Wipeout and had to be checked by its rider. Rovert was unable to obtain clear running thereafter.

Unintentional (B. El-Issa) raced three wide throughout. Age Of Heroes (G. Colless) was caught three wide approaching the first turn and was obliged to race three wide throughout.

Cat Eyes, which compounded in the straight and did not finish the race off as expected, was examined by the club's veterinary surgeon with no abnormalities reported.