DOOM AUG 28 - MEET GEORGE EXTENDS IMPRESSIVE WINNING SEQUENCE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Doomben, August 28, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 6m. Penetrometer - 4.6.
Open Handicap - 1350m.
Time: 1-19.35. (carrying 54kg).
1 Meet George; 2 Poor Judge; 3 Anyways.

The Brian Smith trained Meet George scored a tough, fighting victory in the Open Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.

The win was the fifth straight success for the rejuvenated gelding who remains unbeaten in five starts this preparation since moving to the Smith stable.

Meet George’s winning sequence started with a Class 4 win over 1200m at the Gold Coast on June 19. Smith then brought the five-year-old to town where he won a Class 5 contest over 1400m at Eagle Farm. Meet George then went back to 1200m to secure a Class 6 success at Doomben and followed up with another win in a 1300m in a Quality Handicap at Eagle Farm before continuing his victory march with this latest win over 1350m.

Meet George’s five wins were thus achieved over achieved four different distances. He had four different jockeys aboard during this time and he won at three different tracks in conditions that varied from good to heavy … facts which underline not only the horses’s versatility, but just how well he has come back under the Smith’s astute guidance.

Interestingly enough, just as a bit of trivia, Bobby El-Issa became the first jockey to retain the ride in Meet George’s last ten starts. Nine jockeys had been used in that time. In his last five starts for trainer John Wallace, Meet George was ridden by Paul Hammersley, Justin Wood, Michael Hellyer, Joe Bowditch and Jason Holder. In his five starts for Brian Smith Meet George has been ridden by Glynn Lynch, Shane Scriven, Larry Cassidy and Bobby El-Issa. The sequence of nine different jockeys in nine different starts is certainly unusual.

When El-Issa won on Meet George at his previous start, the winning margin was a comfortable three lengths. This time the margin was a mere short-neck, achieved in a driving, pressurized finish which had El-Issa really earning his percentage.

Anyways and Poor Judge, who showed good gate speed from a wide draw, went out to set the early target. Borsha’s Warrior settled in third with Cocktail Supreme racing to the outside of the grey in fourth place. Meet George was loping along comfortably in behind that, keeping a handy watching brief in fifth place, some four lengths off the leader.

In the sweep to the turn Cocktail Supreme went past Borsha’s Warrior and continued his run out three wide so that when the field straightened Anyways (on the rail) and Poor Judge (two wide) and Cocktail Supreme (a half length back and three wide) formed the leading trio as they brought the field into the home straight.

Borsha’s Warrior had stayed on the inside. He was racing on the heels of the leaders, while El-Issa had elected to move Meet George some four wide into clear running on the outside of Cocktail Supreme. Meet George cornered in fourth place now only a length-and-a-half off the lead with an uninterrupted run to the line beckoning him. Behind that, Blackwood’s Choice was tracking Meet George into the race.

Poor Judge quickly edged ahead of Anyways in the battle along the inside although Anyways, to his credit, kept fighting on and stayed close his rival. At the same time Meet George raced past Cocktail Supreme to get into third place and he then set about the task of chasing down the leader.

As Anyways kept Poor Judge honest all the way to the line and the main fancy kept responding to keep Anyways behind him, Meet George slowly but surely began to reel in the dueling duo ahead of him. Blackwood’s Choice, in turn, was now also in full cry and was chasing hard on the heels of Meet George and these two runners closed ground quickly inside the last 75m.

El-Issa had timed Meet George’s challenge to perfection and the gelding put his head in front when it mattered most to score in spirited fashion by a short-neck from Poor Judge. Anyways was another short-neck away in this place. Blackwood’s Choice finished fourth.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “I still believe he is going of be a better horse carnival time here next year. He travels well and he hits the line and he pulls something out under pressure. I’m very proud of the horse I can tell you.

“It’s hard to win five (in a row), but the horse is doing it. He wants it.

“The horse can jump … be there, travel and give. As I said to Bobby (El Issa) today, if they are too good for you halfway around, don’t panic. When Scriven rode him one day here recently with a big weight he kicked under pressure the last hundred yards.”

Jockey Bobby El-Issa: “He’s a nice horse. He’s got plenty of heart. I think the main thing with this horse is that BJ’s (Brian Smith) placed him right. He’s got the best out of the horse.

“Everybody says that trainers are firing here and there, but BJ is a good trainer. He’s always known how to train. His horses always look good and they always race well. I’m just glad I’m riding for him, that’s all.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Meet George): 3.40 out to 3.80.
Favourite (Poor Judge): 3.40 in to 2.80. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Borsha's Warrior (J. Holder) and Starzando (E. Wilkinson) over-raced in the early stages.

Near the 800m Cocktail Supreme (M. Radecker) commenced to over-race shortly after being crossed by Poor Judge (C. Munce). M. Radecker was then obliged to shift her mount away from the heels of Poor Judge to a three-wide position. Cocktail Supreme then raced three wide for the remainder of the event.

A post-race veterinary examination of Cocktail Supreme revealed that the gelding had sustained lacerations to its near-hind leg consistent with being galloped on.

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