CAUL SEPT 18 - MACKADOO STRIKES A BLOW FOR THE KIWI’S

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Caulfield, September 18, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.04.
3YO Handicap - 1700m.
Time: 1-44.54. 600m Sectional: 35.10. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Mackadoo; 2 Altius; 3 Pitt Street.
Margins: 0.8L x 0.4L.

Mackadoo landed the first leg of a winning double at Caulfield for super stallion High Chaparral when he comfortably took out the opening event on the card on Saturday.

Trained by Murray and Bjorn Baker, Mackadoo was able to land his first Australian victory under the guidance of Michael Rodd.

Jumping well from the 1700 metre start, Rodd elected to send the kiwi visitor forward to take up a prominent position as the field settled into stride.

The early pacemaker was the John McArdle trained Seventh Bullet who showed out a length and half to the filly Vonharp, trailing the leader. On her outside was Mackadoo.

The pronounced favourite for the event was the well related son of Redoute’s Choice, Altius for Damien Oliver and Tony Vasil. The colt settled at the rear of the field some nine lengths from the leader.

With only a very moderate tempo up front, the second favourite in the event Echoes Of Heaven was sent forward from his midfield position to sweep up outside the leaders as the field raced inside the 600 metre pole.

With the race developing into a sit and sprint, Oliver on the favourite Altius started to ride his mount along in an attempt to make up headway approaching the home turn.

Mackadoo and Michael Rodd surged to the lead rounding the final turn and were content to sit three horses off the fence as Vonharp worked off the fence to race outside of the early leader Seventh Bullet.

In the early part of the straight Rodd gave Mackadoo his head and he raced two lengths in front of Vonharp who was weakening and Dizlago who was pushing through the ruck. The well supported commodity Altius was still in second last position inside the final furlong.

With Mackadoo well clear over the concluding stages, Rodd kept him going with a few flicks of the whip. Mackadoo scored a comfortable victory over Altius who made up good ground to finish second with Pit Street battling away stoutly to grab third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Murray Baker: “We hope to get him there (to the Derby). He is still a bit fat at the moment, but he has improved a lot in the last two weeks. We’ve been swimming him and really dishing it up to him.

“He was very short the other day. He had missed a bit of work when he lined up at Flemington.

“I think there is a bit of improvement in him. He is out of an Oaks winner so we hope he gets the trip.

“He was bought out of the paddock as a yearling. I did train the mother. She won the Oaks. She hasn’t left much so we’re hoping this is the one!

“I am happy to have Michael (Rodd) on board. He is a terrific rider.”

Jockey Michael Rodd: “I first met Murray in about the year 2000 and he gave me my first Group One winner up in Brisbane, so I have had a long relationship with him and his family.

“Murray was very disappointed with his run at Flemington a fortnight ago. He just raced like a flat sort of horse. He was only fresh off the plane from New Zealand … so he was a lot more confident today. He said ‘I reckon I’ve got him near right’.

“He’s just so adaptable. Murray said ‘just go out and do your own thing’. There wasn’t an abundance of speed early, so I put him up there and he just switches off, he puts his head down and just lobs along and when it was time to get moving he slowly picks up and when you want him to increase he has got that good turn of foot.

“He is on the way to the Derby and he will get there as long as he stays sound. He’s definitely Derby bound.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Mackadoo): 9.00 out to 10.00.
Favourite (Altius): 2.25 into 2.10. Finished second.

Horse to follow: The hotpot of the event Altius has VRC Derby written all over him. Once the race became a sit and sprint event, the horse lost all winning chance. The colt motored late over the concluding stages and just failed to reel in Mackadoo. Connections are yet to determine whether Altius will contest the Caulfield Guineas enroute to the VRC Derby, but you can be sure that this is a staying horse of the future.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
From London stood flat-footed at the start and as a result lost considerable ground (2L). Trainer Mr J Thompson was notified that a warning would be placed on From London’s record and that a repetition may lead to action being taken.

Altius over-raced in the early stages.

Approaching the 400m, Dizlago, which was held up, shifted out and made contact with Pitt Street, forcing that gelding wider on the track.

On straightening, Dizlago and From London both shifted ground and bumped, resulting in both horses getting unbalanced.

Echoes Of Heaven suffered a bleeding attack from both nostrils during the running of the race.

Trainer Mr M Price was notified that Echoes Of Heaven was ineligible to race for a period of three months and cannot be exercised for two months, under the provisions of AR.53A. Mr Price was also notified that prior to Echoes Of Heaven racing again a veterinary certificate of fitness must be produced.

C Symons (Seventh Bullet) was of the opinion that the colt would be better suited when brought back in distance. A veterinary examination of Seventh Bullet revealed no abnormalities.

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