CAUL SEPT 18 - AVENUE BACK TO HER BRILLIANT BEST

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Caulfield, September 18, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.04.
Testa Rossa Stakes (Listed) - 1200m.
Time: 1-08.67. 600m Sectional: 35.25. (Carrying 53kg).
1 Avenue; 2 Amaethon; 3 About Ready.
Margins: 4.0 L x 0.4L.

Grey sprinting mare Avenue returned to the winners stall with a stirring victory in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The win brought up the middle leg of a winning treble for Peter Moody and Luke Nolen.

After a whirlwind visit to Sydney at her previous start to run in the Listed Sheraco Stakes, Avenue returned to her home track with a bang.

The race was marred by a sensation when well the supported galloper Here De Angels reared as the stalls opened and dislodged jockey Michael Rodd, taking no part in the race.

Avenue began brilliantly from barrier five and Nolen sent the Anabaa mare straight to the front as the field of six settled down.

About Ready for Glen Boss and Mick Price wasn’t about to let the grey mare get it all her own way in front and they sat at Avenue’s flank as the field gathered momentum inside the 600 metre mark.

Avenue swung for home under a good grip from Nolen and the duo held a length margin over About Ready with a further length and a half back to Amaethon in third position.

Once balanced in the early part of the straight, Nolen gave the mare her head and she sprinted three lengths in front of About Ready who was boxing on, but the race was all over.

Nolen kept the sister to Virage De Fortune going and she won handsomely by four lengths over Amaethon with About Ready back in third placing.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Moody: “I was just talking to Dean Lester there a minute ago. I’ve got a stable full of front-runners and we haven’t been able to use the running rail for about eight weeks. For eight weeks we’ve been trying to get away from the fence and it is nice to use it in a positive manner.

“She’s had a few issues and she’s taken a while to get back on track. I thought her last run in Sydney was good and competitive.

“I think she is mature enough where we could even try her out to 1400 metres, so hopefully the rail stays good for the upcoming weeks.”

Jockey Luke Nolen: “When she gets things to suit there’s not many horses anywhere that could run past you.

“She still fights you a little bit. We sort of find that happy medium where she’s not pulling herself into the ground and doing it both ends. You just get along with her in the first half and then you send her home in the second half.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Avenue): 3.20 out to 3.30.
The winner was the favourite.

Horse to follow: Avenue returned to her brilliant front running best under stable jockey Nolen. Last spring Avenue managed to win three group races as a three-year-old filly and can be followed again with confidence if she continues to race in the same vain.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Correct weight was delayed after Here De Angels reared up in the barriers and came out riderless.

After viewing video footage of the start and taking submissions from trainer Mr M Kavanagh and rider M Rodd, Stewards were of the view that Here De Angels reared as the start was effected, had not been interfered with through outside influences and was given an opportunity to jump away cleanly.

In all the circumstances, Stewards deemed Here De Angels a runner. Mr M Kavanagh was advised under AR.50 that the Stewards will decline to receive any nomination for Here De Angels for an indefinite period and any such application to have the ban lifted would have to be supported by the fact Here De Angels had competed in at least two consecutive trials to the satisfaction of the Stewards.

A post-race veterinary examination of Here De Angels revealed no abnormalities.

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