DOOM AUG 21 - FORESTRENO JUST TOO TOUGH

By Graham Potter | Thursday, August 26, 2010

Doomben, August 21, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - out 4m. Penetrometer - 5.25.
Open Handicap - 1200m.
Time: 1-12.13 (Carrying 59kg).
1 Forestreno; 2 Tisani Boy; 3 Equable.

It has been said before and doubtless the description will follow Forestreno around until he concludes his career, but the fact of the matter is that runners just don’t come more genuine than the Phil McLeod trained nine-year-old.

Forestreno only faced seven opponents here, but he had to give them all weight. The two runners who got closest to Forestreno at the line, Tisani Boy and Equable were both receiving no less than 6kg from the top weight and they were also both three years younger than the McLeod runner, but none of that was enough for them to be able to overcome the rock-solid level of competitiveness that Forestreno shows almost every time he goes into battle.

Credit jockey Glen Colless with a great, well thought out ride as well. The two experienced campaigners are a formidable team.

Forestreno jumped well from pole position and did enough early to hold the rail position in the leading line for the first 300m before Colless took a hold and allowed the favourite Ollie Vollie to cross into the lead.

Tsani Boy followed that one through to sit in second while Forestreno settled in a close-up third where he had the run of the race, two lengths off the leader who was only posting a moderate tempo.

Sam’s Express raced outside Forestreno while Another Takeover raced on the rail in midfield in behind that.

Ollie Vollie held a comfortable lead until the turn and Tim Bell gave the gelding more rein at the head of the straight. For a moment, as Tisani Boy hesitated to pick up the speed, it looked as though Ollie Vollie might surge away from his rivals, but Colless had been anticipating that move and he quickly shifted the iron horse Forestreno into gear and the chase was on … and it was quite a chase.

It took Forestreno almost the whole length of the straight to run down Ollie Vollie but his strong, sustained effort took him to the front with 50m left to run. But that was not the end of the story.

Tisani Boy had found his feet and was still right there keeping everybody honest. Equable was hitting the line hard on the outside and he had the luckless Another takeover in tow (the latter was repeatedly baulked in the straight before getting out too late), but Forestreno prevailed in a pressurised finish to claim victory in typical fighting fashion.

Forestreno is now a fourteen-time winner from sixty-two starts and he has earned just shy of $550 000 in stakes.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Glen Colless: “I knew when I came out of the gates (from the number one draw), if Ollie Vollie got across he would slow things up.

“He did get across eventually, but I dug up and made him do a little bit of work to get there … and then when one came up beside him he had to get going again, so that counted against him in the end, that’s for sure.

“I knew if he (Ollie Vollie) got to the front and just walked he would have been hard to run down, but things worked out well.

“He (Forestreno) is just a gallant old horse. I’ve had a lot of enjoyment out of him. I think I’ve won on him every win here. I probably should have the Ramornie on him as well, you know. He was a bit stiff. I sat one, one. That day the thing outside the leader was gone just before the straight so I had to pop out and we sort of got to the front at the 300, which is not his go. I just got to the front too early. It still took a good horse to run him down.

“He just likes to be saved for a run and he’s got that turn of foot and he likes a battle. He’s planning to run him in the Cameron. I’ll go and ride him for sure.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Forestreno): 4.00 out to 4.40.
Favourite (Ollie Vollie): 2.60 out to 3.00 in to 2.50. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Kneel And Raise (L. Cassidy) was slow to begin.

When the pace steadied approaching the 800m, Tisani Boy (C. Munce), Another Takeover (P. Hammersley), Kneel And Raise and Deception Bay (E. Wilkinson) over-raced for a short distance.

Near the 300m, Tisani Boy shifted out under pressure and brushed Sam's Express (B. Stewart). Tisani Boy continued to lay out under pressure over the concluding stages.

Forestreno (G. Colless) was held up in the straight and unable to obtain clear running until approaching the 300m.

Another Takeover was held up in the straight and unable to obtain clear running until a point near the 200m.

L. Cassidy reported that the early and mid-race tempo significantly disadvantaged Kneel And Raise and he was satisfied the performance of the gelding.

Forestreno lost its off-fore plate in running.

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