DOOM AUG 28 - RINGA RINGA ROSIE LEAVES RIVALS REELING

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Doomben, August 28, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 6m. Penetrometer - 4.6.
Fillies & Mares Handicap - 1200m.
Time: 1-09.76. (Carrying 53.5kg).
1 Ringa Ringa Rosie; 2 Beyonce's Star; 3 Falvelina.

Ringa Ringa Rosie could not have been more impressive when posting an emphatic first-up win over 1200m at Doomben on Saturday.

The manner in which Ringa Ringa Rosie achieved victory had trainer Bevan Laming, who is not prone to excitement or exaggeration, declaring that the daughter of Bradbury’s Luck could be the best horse he has trained. He qualified that by saying, ‘certainly the best filly.’

Few would argue that Ringa Ringa Rosie has champion potential. The filly didn’t need this result to have that rating.

In the three starts which comprised her previous campaign (her last as a two-year-old) Ringa Ringa Rosie won the Listed Hampden Stakes over 1200m, she finished third 0.30 lengths behind Run For Levi in the Listed Doomben Slipper over 1350m and she claimed second place, just 1.30 lengths behind Pressday (who was the find of the Carnival) over 1600m in the Group 1, T J Smith.

That Ringa Ringa Rosie came out firing in such convincing fashion fresh after a rest only cemented her standing.

Jockey Chris Munce settled Ringa Ringa Rosie towards the rear of the field in the early part. The filly raced in eighth place some six lengths off the front-running Falvelina. She improved up to seventh place and a little over five lengths back approaching the turn, but traffic problems now came into play.

Ringa Ringa Rosie was racing on the inside in behind runners. She quickly became cramped for galloping room and it looked momentarily that the gridlock in front of her would compromise her chances.

As Falvelina rallied and kicked on again early in the straight with Beyonce’s Star in tow, Munce angled Ringa Ringa Rosie away from the rail, still six lengths in arrears. It took a moment for Munce to balance up his mount. There was another brief delay while Munce weighed up his options before deciding on his run, but there was no hesitation once the rider gave Ringa Ringa Rosie the green light to lengthen her stride.

Only a good horse can round up runners the way Ringa Ringa Rosie reeled in the opposition. Like all good runners, although he task looked enormous, the response seemed effortless as Ringa Ringa Rosie showed superb acceleration to cruise to the front, getting there as early as the 100m mark.

From there, Munce just punched her out hands and heels over the concluding stages, still widening the gap on the rest. Ringa Ringa Rosie eventually crossed the line a full three lengths clear of Beyonce’s Star who got up by a head to relegate Falvelina back to third place in the final few strides.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bevan Laming: “There is so much improvement there. This could be the best horse I’ve trained, I think. Certainly the best filly.

“This filly has a lovely attitude. You can see the way she races … she is still learning. I haven’t put any pressure on her.

“She’s off to Melbourne now for the 1000 Guineas. The Oaks will be the main mission though. I’m confident with the mile-and-a-half. Her grandmother ran second in the Oaks, so there is a good bit of stamina in the pedigree.”

Jockey Chris Munce: “That acceleration is certainly the mark of a good horse.

“I was just saying to Mr. Laming, I was in a little bit of an awkward spot there approaching the corner, but when the runs came she took advantage of them.

‘”You know, I suppose that’s one thing that’s great when you’re riding for Bevan (Laming) … he sort of leaves it up to me.

“If I make a blue he doesn’t sort of carry on. He’s pretty good to ride for. It’s good to ride for a trainer who understands racing. At the end of the day it’s nice to be able to go in a relaxed frame of mind and let the horses do the talking.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Ringa Ringa Rosie): 2.20 out to 2.80.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
En-route to the barriers the offside stirrup leather of Beyonce's Star broke, resulting in B. Stewart being dislodged.

The horse was quickly recaptured, transferred to the barriers and a new stirrup leather fitted. A subsequent veterinary examination of Beyonce's Star passed the mare suitable to race.

Penny Louise (J. Wood) jumped out at the start and made contact with the hind quarters of Falvelina (S. Bogenhuber).

Leaving the 400m Fasliyev Dancer (B. El-Issa) was momentarily tightened for room by Healy Creek (J. Byrne), which shifted in.

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