FLEM OCT 03 - CONSISTENT TERRITORY GETS DESERVED WIN

By Taron Clarke | Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Flemington, October 3, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 9m. Penetrometer 4.77.
Westfield Doncaster Stakes (Listed) 3YO C+G’s SW+P - 1400m.
Time: 1-25.21. 600m Sectional: 34.00. (Carrying 54kg).
1 Territory; 2 Mr Chard; 3 Multahem.
Margins: 0.2L x 2.0L.

Lee Freedman’s consistent colt Territory made amends for an unlucky last start third behind Shrapnel at Moonee Valley nine days earlier with an all the way victory in the Listed Westfield Doncaster Stakes over 1400 metres.

Craig Newitt retained the mount on the son of Lonhro and the pair were sent out the punters elect in what was an open betting market.

The win was the second of the day for Darley owned horses after the Peter Snowden trained Sepoy took out the first event on the card.

Darley had two acceptors in the race, however the more favoured of the two runners Skilled, was a race day scratching with an elevated temperature.

Ridden hard from his outside barrier, Territory quickly raced up to assume the pacemaker role shortly after the start.

The Lonhro colt had an uncontested lead and he settled down a length and a half in front of Mr Chard with the field strung out over ten lengths.

Jockey Craig Newitt allowed Territory a breather approaching the home turn and this allowed the small field to condense somewhat.

Territory rounded the home turn four horses off the inside with Newitt sitting quietly. The pair held a length margin over Mr Chard, who was the first to go out after the favourite.

David Hayes well-bred galloper Multahem had saved ground towards the inside and ran into a clear third, two lengths off the leader.

Newitt shook the favourite up beyond the 400 metre mark and popped a couple of sustained looks over his right should to assess the potential threats.

He didn’t have to look too far as his main rival was racing at his hind quarters and that was Mr Chard.

The pair settled down for a ding-dong go at the furlong pole with Mr Chard responding to the urgings of Craig Williams and Territory doing likewise under Newitt.

Williams was the first to pull the stick in an attempt to extricate that extra neck out of his mount. But everything that Mr Chard did, Territory did that little bit better and lifted well under Newitt’s vigour.

In a rousing drive to the line, Territory responded to the strong whip riding of Craig Newitt to hold off the challenge of Mr Chard by a head with a further two lengths back to Multahem in third placing.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Freedman Racing Manager Sam Pritchard-Gordon: “A good ride. He’s taken the pace out of the race and quickened into the straight nicely.

“He’s come off the rail … that will be the pattern of racing today. He’s dictated the pace and duly won.

“He had no luck at Moonee Valley, so backing him up in this race today was no problem at all.

“We’ll see where we go from here … maybe the Carbine (Carbine Club Stakes) or something like that.

“I would say the Caulfield Guineas would be a little too much to ask, but we’ll see how he goes.”

Jockey Craig Newitt: “He had no luck at Moonee Valley and the Freedman’s straight away had this race in mind, so I was happy to stay with him.

“It was nice to be drawn out there because I was able to put him into a spot and he really came back to me nicely.

“He was there to be beaten a furlong out, but he hit the line really well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Territory): 3.50 out to 3.90 into 3.80.
The winner was the favourite.

Horse to Follow: Territory and Mr Chard were well placed in this grade. Both will be competitive in this company during the course of the spring.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
M Rodd (Goldstone) explained that his mount raced quite greenly and he had recommended to add blinkers at its next start.

J Winks (Backgammon) explained that his mount had difficulty in making ground in the straight as did a number of the backmarkers. A post-race veterinary examination of Backgammon revealed no abnormalities.

More articles