FLEM OCT 03 - HARRIS TWEED RACES INTO CUPS CONTENTION

By Taron Clarke | Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Flemington, October 3, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 9m. Penetrometer 4.77.
The Bart Cummings Quality (Listed) Open Handicap - 2500m.
Time: 2-40.32. 600m Sectional: 35.32. (Carrying 58.5kg).
1 Harris Tweed; 2 Exceptionally; 3 Above Average.
Margins: 0.2L x 2.5L.

Kiwi joint training partnership Murray and Bjorn Baker will give serious consideration as whether to start Harris Tweed in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups after a determined win in the Listed Bart Cumming Stakes over 2500 metres.

Harris Tweed had been out of the winner’s stall for eighteen months with his last victory posted in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes during the Randwick autumn carnival in April of 2009.

The son of Monteju has since run placing’s in the AJC Derby, New Zealand Stakes and the Sydney Cup all run at Group 1 level.

A solid performance in last year’s Melbourne Cup where the gelding finished fifth only four lengths from the winner Shocking has the Baker’s talking about another crack at the race that stops a nation.

Ridden by Brad Rawiller, Harris Tweed jumped away from barrier ten in the field of eleven.

Passing the post and going out of the straight on the first occasion, Rawiller settled Harris Tweed in a beautiful trailing position one out and one back from the early pacemaker who was Niptious.

The favourite for the event was the Lee Freedman trained import Above Average. The entire by High Chaparral was ridden by Damien Oliver and the pair settled in the second half of the field.

The front-runner Niptious ran the field along down the river side of the course and this allowed the field to string out over some fifteen lengths.

This year’s VRC St. Ledger winner Exceptionally, trained by Terry and Karina O’Sullivan brought up the rear of the field.

As the field commenced the turn for home jockey Rawiller elected to let his mount slide up three wide to join the leaders and under hands and heels riding the pair surged to the front at the top of the straight.

Rawiller gave the kiwi visitor a cut with the whip and he bounded away to a clear two length margin inside the 200 metre mark.

The remainder of the field appeared to be battling beyond the furlong marker when Exceptionally came down the outside of the field with a strong finishing burst.

Spotting the leader Harris Tweed close to three lengths at the 100 metre mark, Exceptionally jumped up out of the ground over the concluding stages to fall agonisingly short of picking up the winner Harris Tweed.

Responding to the hard riding of Rawiller, Harris Tweed did enough over the concluding stages to hold off the flashing finish off Exceptionally by a head with two and a half lengths back to the well supported favourite Above Average.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Murray Baker: “Very good ride by Brad (Rawiller). He rode him very positive, kicked clear and held on.

“Coming out of the New Zealand winter, he’s taken a lot of getting fit and has been well behind the eight ball.

“We’ve thought in the last couple of weeks he’s really picked up. We thought he ran pretty well second up with a big weight (in the Naturalism Stakes).

“I just don’t know whether he’s got as much zip for a Caulfield Cup, but he can stay and should improve a lot for this run.

“He’s fully qualified for both Cups, and although he may be a bit dour and one-paced, he does keep going. I’ll have to think about it.”

Jockey Brad Rawiller: “Last start in the Naturalism, when the tempo came at the 800 he just grinded away looking for further and it was more favouring on-pacers. Today, Flemington was a much better track for him and he just brained them.

“Everything went to plan. With 58.5kg we had to boot up from the corner and make the running into the straight which is always the long way home. He did the job and we look forward to the Melbourne Cup now.

“Murray is a great trainer and so is Bjorn, so they’ll work out what the best plan is towards the big ones.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Harris Tweed): 6.00 out to 7.50.
Favourite (Above Average): 5.50 into 4.40. Finished third.

Horse to Follow: Exceptionally ran home strongly at the conclusion of the 2500 metre staying event to just miss out. The eventual winner Harris Tweed settled well in the run and when asked to sprint let down with a devastating turn of foot.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
P Robl was issued with a severe reprimand for accepting a ride on Nitonic when found to be overweight. In assessing penalty Stewards took into account P Robl’s good recent record under this rule.

Prior to correct weight M Payne rider of Capecover (NZ), sixth placegetter, viewed the Stewards film before deciding not to lodge an objection.

Miles Above and Phaze Action were slow to begin.

Miles Above was caught wide without cover before crossing to gain a position one off the fence near the 1600m.

Approaching the 200m Extra Zero shifted in under pressure before being straightened and in doing so inconvenienced Capecover (NZ) which was making ground and in turn shifted in hampering Phaze Action and Berlioz (NZ).

Inside the 100m Capecover (NZ) which continued to make ground was crowded for room when disappointed for a clear run to the outside of Miles Above which was also shifting ground at the time.

As a result of the incident to Capecover (NZ) it shifted out inconveniencing Extra Zero. In all the circumstances no direct action was taken against L Nolen (Miles Above) however he was issued with a severe reprimand for allowing his mount to shift ground as far as it did.

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