DOOM SEPT 18 - SMART STARTSMEUP SWAMPS THEM

By Graham Potter | Monday, September 20, 2010

Doomben, September 18, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m. Penetrometer: 4.6.
QTIS 3yo Handicap - 1350m
Time: 1-19.77. Last 600m: 34.84. (Carrying 58kg)
1 Startsmeup; 2 Invincible Mate; 3 Magic Tartan.
Margins: 3L; Half-head.

The Bruce Hill trained Startsmeup underlined his rapid rate of progress when he trounced his opposition on a QTIS 3yo Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.

It was a second successive win for the son of Danzero and it was the way he stretched out under the steadying burden of 58kg that franked the merit of the performance.

His evolvement from a horse still short on education to a runner relishing the challenge stands to the credit of the trainer / rider combination of Hill and jockey Paul Hammersley who have both worked hard to get Startsmeup into race-winning mode.

Startsmeup landed in the leading line and settled in second place just a length back and to the outside of Invincible Mate in the early part.

When Forest Doll, who had been caught wide after jumping from an outside barrier, chased forward to join Invincible Mate at the head of affairs, Startsmeup went back to third place … and then found himself going back to fourth spot when La Bella Rose sneaked up along his inside in the sweep to the turn.

Startsmeup was always travelling well within himself though and at no stage was he more than 2.50 lengths off the lead. He was, in fact, perfectly poised to strike approaching the home turn and Hammersley wasted little time he making their presence felt when it got down to the business end of proceedings.

Startsmeup went past La Bella Rose and then pushed up three wide outside the leaders, cornering just a length behind Invincible Mate who had his head in front on straightening.

That advantage was negated within a couple of strides as Hammersley gave Startsmeup more rein. The gelding immediately moved up to pressure Invincible Mate. He took just that little bit longer to build momentum, but once in full stride the ‘race over’ signs went up early as Startsmeup surged into the lead with 200m left to run.

Once in front, Startsmeup continued to assert his authority with each passing stride, clearing out over the concluding stages to put three lengths between himself and the game, but outgunned, Invincible Mate.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “He’ll have a break now. Then he’ll head to the Magic Millions. That’s what said I was going to do all along, so I’m going to stick with that.

“The blokes bred him and put him through the Ready-To-Run and couldn’t sell him, so they kept him.

“He is a pretty adaptable horse. He’s got enough pace to put himself in there. He relaxes and he’s doing just about everything right now.”

Jockey Paul Hammersley: “Yeah, we all know how well this horse goes back home in the stable. It means a lot to be on him.

“The only thing he probably does wrong is he is a little bit too relaxed early in his races. When he started out all he wanted to do was run. I think he ran on a bit of fear early … then we started taking our time with him and got him right.

“Bruce (Hill) said to be positive on him out of the gates and I did that. Once I got there and got cover going into the first corner he raced really nice. He’s looking for further now.

“Yeah, I’m doing alright. The quality of riders up here now … it makes it tougher, but it probably makes you lift to that next level and it makes you work hard too.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Startsmeup): 3.00 in to 2.70.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Connections advised that Hidden Kisses would be ridden in a more forward position if circumstances permit.

Picaceleb (J. Wood) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Sir Jaystin (J. Piper) and La Bella Rose (G. Colless) bumped on jumping away.

Sir Jaystin attempted to buck shortly after the start, resulting in its rider J. Piper becoming unbalanced. Mr T. Hall, trainer of Sir Jaystin, was advised that the horse must trial to the satisfaction of the stewards prior to its next race start.

Smart (J. Byrne), Sir Jaystin and Picaceleb over-raced in the early stages of the event.

J. Piper, rider of Sir Jaystin, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that at a point near the 600m she rode in a careless manner by allowing her mount to improve up on to the heels of Startsmeup (P. Hammersley) and shift in when insufficiently clear of In A Tangle (B. Stewart), resulting in the rider of that horse having to take hold and shift to the outside of Sir Jaystin.

J. Piper was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 9 meetings, to be served concurrently with a suspension incurred from race 2, and to expire at midnight, 10 October. In this incident, Magic Tartan, which was following, had to be steadied from the heels of In A Tangle.

Approaching the 900m, Sir Jaystin, which was over-racing at the heels of Startsmeup (P. Hammersley), shifted out, taking Kiss Me Deadly (J. Holder) wider on the track.

Kiss Me Deadly and Hidden Kisses (B. Evans) raced wide throughout.

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