DOOM AUG 21 - OH SO EASY FOR FILLYDELPHIA

By Graham Potter | Thursday, August 26, 2010

Doomben, August 21, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - out 4m. Penetrometer - 5.25.
QTIS Handicap (3yo’s) - 1615m.
Time: 1-41.11. (Carrying 58kg).
1 Fillydelphia; 2 Random Orbit; 3 Care Bear.

The spectacular crash which downed Mitchell Speers and Luke Rolls in a double race fall at Eagle Farm on August 7 was obviously still a raw wound for the owners of Fillydelphia and Care Bear, the two horses involved in that incident, when they squared up again at Doomben on Saturday.

You had to draw a line through that result, which effectively meant that the Robert Heathcote trained Fillydelphia was bidding for four wins in a row. Technically that sequence had been uninterrupted by that mishap, but the betting boards clearly reflected the fact that, all things being equal, Fillydelphia seemed to be a class above her rivals here. The filly started a hot favourite at $1.35.

This time the slow speed seemed to be more of a concern to Fillydelphia’s chances than the ability of any of her five rivals.

With nobody keen to set the target, jockey Chris Munce led on Care Bear with Uncle Heaven in second spot.

Jockey Larry Cassidy had Fillydelphia in third entering the back straight, but he quickly moved Fillydelphia up to second, going past Uncle Heaven who briefly had nowhere to go when caught on the heels of the dawdling leader.

Fillydelphia then settled in second a length off Care Bear and three-quarters-of-a-length ahead of Uncle Heaven. These runners held their positions in a compact field until the 600m where Cassidy move Fillydelphia up to within half-a-length of the lead and he closed up even more approaching the turn so that Care Bear and Fillydelphia straightened within a long-neck of each other.

Fillydelphia and Care Bear raced together in the first half of the straight, but Care Bear was only there courtesy of Cassidy’s kindness. When Cassidy pushed the button on Fillydelphia coming through the 200m mark, it was ‘race over’ in a matter of strides as the quality filly sprinted away from her opposition, quickly putting daylight between herself and any danger.

Fillydelphia won every bit as easily as the four length margin suggests. Although well beaten, Random Orbit ran on to claim second spot while Care Bear had done enough to hold third place. The rest didn’t matter.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Melissa Leitch (speaking for the Robert Heathcote stable): “I’ve spoken to Robert on the phone since the win. He’s really impressed.” (Heathcote was at Warwick Farm with Buffering).

“We were thinking about maybe going to the paddock with her, but the way she just did that so easy there’s no chance now. In a fortnight there is another race which she’ll target.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “I sort of just pressured Chris (Munce, the rider of Care Bear) … he obviously went slow in front … I just put a bit of pressure on at the half-mile, because I didn’t want some of the back-markers to come whizzing around me at the 600.

“I still wanted to hold on to her until about the 400, because I know that she can outsprint them and the race just panned out perfectly.

“She really impressed me with her second win and she has gone on and impressed since. She is getting up in the weights now and she is still doing it easy which is a great sign.

“I just thought she might have lightened up a bit since I last saw her before I went on holiday … and I’ve buffed up.

“The weight is coming off. There is still a lot more pain to be had by me over the next week, but I’m working hard and I want to get my name back on top of that ladder.”

“I think the track is in beautiful condition. There is a lovely amount of grass on it and it’s probably racing dead to slow.

“To me the track felt perfect, because she just whizzed over it. Probably the better side of slow. With this weather it is going of suck the moisture out of it. It’s not like they are getting right into it. After two or three races you’ll see if it is going to cut up and maybe they might come a little wider but, all in all, the track is in great order.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Fillydelphia): 1.50 in to 1.35.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed when Pinnacle Ridge became fractious in the barriers, obliging rider T. Bell to dismount for a short time.

No racing incidents.

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