CAUL SEPT 18 - RESPONSE GRABS GROUP ONE GLORY

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Caulfield, September 18, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.04.
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Open Handicap (Group 1) - 1400m.
Time: 1-22.23. 600m Sectional: 35.18. (Carrying 53.5kg).
1 Response; 2 No Evidence Needed; 3 Woorim.
Margins: 0.4L x 0.1L.

The training partnership of Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra scored their second Group One victory in a short time frame when consistent mare Response led all the way to score a well deserved win in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

In an unusual role, Response took up the early running for jockey Craig Williams. Williams had no hesitation in sending the Charge Forward mare straight to the front after it appeared the pairing would be caught wide early doors.

The favourite for the event was Peter Moody’s Doubtful Jack who came into the race on the back of four successive Flemington wins. Ridden by stable jockey Luke Nolen, Doubtful Jack lobbed in a lovely trailing position one off the fence, within five lengths of the leader Response.

The tempo of the feature handicap was solid and the field was spread out over some twenty lengths.

Rounding the home turn, it was the charge of the light brigade as Response held a half-length margin over Sister Madly, Gathering, Jungle Ruler and chiming in out five wide on the track was the favourite Doubtful Jack.

In the early stages of the straight Response kicked out to a clear length and a half margin over Sister Madly. Out wide on the track was the Patinack Farm galloper No Evidence Needed who was lengthening stride and coming with a well-timed run.

Under the urgings of an in-form Craig Williams, Response kept kicking strongly along the running rail and over the concluding stages did enough to hold off No Evidence Needed and the fast finishing Queensland visitor Woorim who had to settle for third position.

The win of Response brought up the second victory in the race for owners Barrie and Midge Griffiths who won the race back in 1992 with champion mare Mannerism when it was known as the Show Day Cup.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Matthew Ellerton: “I must say I was headless when he went to the front, but all credit to him he got away with it.

“That was never in the equation. Not at all … definitely not … but like I said, all credit to Craig (Williams). He got away with it.

“She is a super mare, lightly raced and I hope we can go on with it.

“She is just a late maturer, but she has come a long way in a short time. Hopefully we can have a more fruitful spring with her from here on in.

“The Myer Classic would be an obvious target. We have always been keen to try her up the straight too at some stage. I think she would be explosive, but, yeah, it looks like a logical race on Derby Day.

“She is good at home. She no problem to do anything with.

“Great fortune for us when her owners came into the stable. They have been great clients. It’s all credit to Barrie. He picked her out and went and brought her himself and she is a very valuable mare now.”

Jockey Craig Williams: My wife is here today and so is my Mum and all the group. It’s a really fitting day.

“It must have been a really lucky race for our family. My father trained the winner. He rode the winner. We were going through the old ancient black and white books and he started laughing at me and now I have won the race three times, so I’m glad we did it, especially on a mare like Response.

“She has ran two seconds this campaign. They rang me up and asked if I would start doing the early work on her because I rode her on the end of last preparation. Just in her two trials and a bit of work, I said she was a Group One mare.

“I thought we were talking about a Myer Classic and they said ‘the Sir Rupert Clarke is on the radar’. What a great handicap to put her in and when you look at her she’s still got improvement, which is great.

“I have to trust the girl I’m on and Response was great and determined.

“She is a great mare and I’m glad I could get the owner’s a win.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Response): 5.00 out to 6.00 into 4.80
Favourite (Doubtful Jack): 3.10 out to 3.40 into 3.30. Finished sixth.

Horses to follow: The winner Response did a wonderful job to notch up her first win in the top grade. Ridden somewhat upside down the mare fought on gallantly to hold off all comers. Queensland visitor Woorim justified his trip south with a fast finishing third. Suited at handicap level, Woorim can definitely pay for his expenses this spring.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards considered an application from N Hall claiming a winning and /or losing riding fee after having been engaged to ride Woorim in this particular race earlier in the week.

Evidence was taken from N Hall, his Rider agent Adrian Coyne (via phone), Trainer Mr R Heathcote and managing owner Mr R Cutts.

On the evidence Mr Heathcote was of the opinion that as a result of a telephone conversation between himself and Mr Coyne on Wednesday September 15 led him to believe that N Hall had relinquished the ride at Mr Heathcote’s request.

There was no evidence that Mr Coyne had held N Hall to the ride and therefore stewards declined the request.

Electromotive cast its off-hind plate in the mounting yard and after consultation with one of Mr L Freedman’s forepersons, Mr S McGee, Electromotive was re-plated behind the barriers underwent a veterinary examination and was passed fit to start.

Electromotive then made contact with a section of the barriers when being loaded and was consequently removed from the barriers and underwent a second veterinary examination. Electromotive was again passed fit to start. A post-race veterinary examination revealed Electromotive to be mildly lame in the off-foreleg.

We’re Gonna Rock shifted out abruptly on jumping away hampering a number of runners by forcing them wider on the track, they being Electromotive, Beltrois and Pinnacles.

Raffaello was slow to begin (2 lengths).

Rightfully Yours had some difficulty obtaining clear running in the early part of the straight.

After passing the 300m, Delayedreaction (NZ) was checked when tightened for room between Gold Salute, which shifted out and Beltrois, which shifted in under pressure.

C Williams (Response) explained that it was not the plan to lead on the mare today however he was left with no other option than to let his mount stride forward to avoid being caught wide on the track.

A veterinary examination of Gold Salute revealed the gelding had pulled up with atrial fibrillation. Trainer Mr M Riley was notified that prior to racing again, Gold Salute must trial over at least 1000m, obtain a veterinary certificate of fitness subsequent to the trial, which must include the satisfactory results of an ecg.

L Nolen (Doubtful Jack) was of the opinion that the gelding is better suited to Flemington and better suited to rain affected tracks.

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