FLEM OCT 03 - BLACK TYPE WIN FOR GATHERING

By Taron Clarke | Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Flemington, October 3, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 9m. Penetrometer 4.77.
Herald Sun Superstable Stakes (Listed) 4YO+ Open Handicap - 1400m.
Time: 1-23.30. 600m Sectional: 34.17. (Carrying 53kg).
1 Gathering; 2 Rockpecker; 3 Woorim.
Margins: 3.3L x 0.1L.

The Patinack Farm owned gelding Gathering managed to land the first Black Type win of his career with a brilliant all the way win in the Listed Herald Sun Superstable Stakes over 1400 metres.

Group 1 placed in the 2009 Spring Champion Stakes, the son of Tale Of The Cat has always shown above average potential on the track and this is evident by only starting outside Black Type company three times in his seventeen start career.

Starting a despised outsider in the event, the victory brought up the second leg of a winning double for much underrated jockey Dwayne Dunn.

Dunn, who has been the Lee Freedman stable jockey for the past two racing seasons, has recently negotiated a more flexible agreement with the Rye based mentor, which allows him to chase external rides.

Although not brilliantly into stride at the start, Dunn and Gathering were able to muster speed quickly along the inside of runners and took up the pacemaker role after the field had raced 200 metres.

Gathering held a half-length lead over Group 1 placed Sister Madly and caught three deep on the speed was Rockpecker.

Favourite for the event was the Mark Kavanagh trained We’re Gonna Rock. Partnered by stable rider Michael Rodd, the Fastnet Rock entire settled down midfield as the leaders commenced the swing for home 600 metres from the judge.

Once again, as was the general pattern of the day, the leaders plotted a course four and five horses off the fence and pacemaker Gathering kicked out by two lengths in the early part of the straight.

We’re Gonna Rock and Michael Rodd spotted the leader five lengths when the pair were asked for their supreme effort inside the 400 metre mark.

Dunn pulled the stick on front runner Gathering inside the 300 metres and the Tale Of The Cat gelding was still well clear of his nearest rivals which included We’re Gonna Rock and Rockpecker.

Over the concluding 200 metres it was evident that the leader could not be run down as he was full of running.

We’re Gonna Rock wilted on his run over the concluding stages and was passed by Rockpecker and Woorim who flashed home from the rear of the field.

But all honours were with Gathering.

Responding strongly to the urgings of Dunn, Gathering strolled away to win by a widening three-and-a-quarter lengths over Rockpecker with a short half-head back to Queensland visitor Woorim back in third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Thompson: “The horse has been going very well. If anything, he has been wanting to get to a mile, but I’ve been struggling to place him a little bit.

“He tackled the Group Ones last time, but a drop in class here today and a good ride by Dwayne and he got the job done.

“He takes a couple of runs to get fit. He’s a big one-paced bugger.

“He’ll probably go to something like the Waterford Crystal Mile and just bowl along.”

Jockey Dwayne Dunn: “The cards just hadn’t been falling my way. I thought I’d been putting them in the right spot and making the right things happen, but a string of seconds didn’t really help.

“To ride a double today is great and puts me back in the mix with all the rest of the boys.

“He (Gathering) sort of raced a little bit in patches. I had Sister Madly over-racing outside me which sort of got him going a little bit mid-race.

“Then he got a good breath at the top of the straight and when I asked for an effort he really dug deep and found the line.

“He has a little bit of a wind issue, but he’s nice and big and strong and I’d like to see him over a mile.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Gathering): 26.00 throughout.
Favourite We’re Gonna Rock 5.00 into 4.20. Finished fourth.

Horse to Follow: Rockpecker sat three wide on a genuine tempo for jockey Craig Williams. Clearly headed in the straight by the favourite We’re Gonna Rock, Rockpecker fought back strongly to claim second behind tearaway winner Gathering.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After the running of Race 8 it was established with trainer Mrs G Waterhouse that Rock Kingdom got too far back at its last start in the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle on September 15 and it was her intentions to ride the gelding in its normal pattern today which is a forward position.

Gathering jumped away awkwardly resulting in D Dunn becoming unbalanced in the saddle.

Delayedreaction (NZ) was slow to begin.

Near the 350m K Myers (Mr Stupendous (NZ)) dropped the whip.

Rockpecker and Rock Kingdom raced wide without cover.

Mr Stupendous (NZ) lost its off-fore plate during the running of the race.

G Boss rider of Sister Madly reported after the race that his mount did not feel right in its action and was under pressure at the 600m and for this reason he did not ride his mount out in the straight.

A subsequent veterinary examination revealed no obvious abnormalities and Stewards will follow up with the stable in the coming days.

Assistant trainer Mr G Thompson was questioned regarding the apparent improved performance of Gathering today and he explained that the gelding only arrived within a matter of days prior to its first start in Victoria at Caulfield on September 18 and in his opinion has since settled in much better and was of the view that the change of jockey with a stronger rider benefited today.

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