CAUL OCT 09 - ANACHEEVA WINS CAULFIELD GUINEAS

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, October 10, 2010

Caulfield, October 9, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.28.
Caulfield Guineas 3YO SW (Group 1) - 1600m.
Time: 1-37.01. 600m Sectional: 35.22. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Anacheeva; 2 Run for Levi; 3 Masquerader.
Margins: 0.4L x 0.8L.

Stoutly bred colt Anacheeva notched up his first Group 1 victory in the time honoured Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon.

The Guineas is much renowned as a race that shapes a potential champion stallion after the likes of St. Covet, Our Maizcay, Redoute’s Choice, Show A Heart and Lonhro have all won the feature three-year-old event and gone on to make top notch stallions.

Anacheeva looks to be no different.

Anacheeva is a full brother to the 2006 AJC Derby winner, Headturner, so he has the pedigree to succeed at stud.

The Anabaa colt remains unbeaten this time in after three resounding victories and Caulfield mentor Peter Moody will look to freshen Anacheeva up for another shot at Group 1 glory in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on VRC Derby day.

Ridden by stable jockey Luke Nolen, Anacheeva jumped away well from barrier one in the Group 1 feature and the pair settled in the box seat behind the leader, Run for Levi.

Equal favourites for the event were the Golden Rose winner Toorak Toff and the up and coming Sydney star Ilovethiscity.

Toorak Toff, who is trained by Rick Hore-Lacy, was caught midfield and three deep for Damien Oliver.

Ilovethiscity trained by Grahame Begg and ridden by Glen Boss settled behind Toorak Toff, some eight lengths off the leader.

Down the side of the track and the early pacemaker Run for Levi was joined by Fort Chauvel as the Bart Cummings galloper Kudakulari brought up the rear of the field some sixteen lengths off the leaders.

Caught wide for most of the journey so far, Toorak Toff was sent forward under Oliver and the pair joined the leaders as the field approached the turn.

Round the final corner, Fort Chauvel was hard ridden by Michael Walker and was quickly dropping out of the fray.

Luke Nolen on Anacheeva noticed the potential for a run to the outside of the leaders heels and drove his mount one off the fence as the field balanced up in the early part of the straight.

Run for Levi headed up for the judge with a three-quarter-length margin over Anacheeva and Toorak Toff.

Co-favourite Ilovethiscity had peeled off Toorak Toff’s back and jockey Boss was asking the son of Magic Albert for the supreme effort.

Nolen gave Anacheeva a couple of cuts with the whip at the furlong marker and the pair raced up to strike the front over Run for Levi with a length and a half back to Masquerader who had made ground through the ruck.

Ridden out strongly and confidently to the line by Nolen, Anacheeva went on to beat the game Run for Levi by a long neck with three quarters of a length back to Sydney galloper Masquerader back in third placing.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Moody: “He slips under the radar. He has stamped himself as the best three-year-old colt in the land … three for three today - six, seven furlongs and a mile.

“If he runs again in the spring he'll be running the Coolmore Stakes on Derby Day or alternatively he'll be spelled for the Australian Guineas and Randwick Guineas in the autumn.

“Rockmount Syndicate own the colt and I got him through a very good association I had with their racing manager, Damian Murphy.

“We've had a relationship for a lot of years, and Geoff and Jill purchased Rockmount probably some four or five years ago.

“Now it's a boutique pre-training and spelling facility up there and I was fortunate enough that when they decided to go into it they bought a nice line of fillies that we've had some success with, without setting the world on fire.

“Damian and I were fortunate enough to source this colt at the Easter sale a couple of years ago and thankfully the vets gave him a terrible wrap.

“Damian and I were prepared to forgive him and we bought him for the very cheap price of $110,000 now.

“The problems were x-ray issues of various kinds, but I thought he was athletic enough to overcome them and Damian went to Geoff and Jill and they were happy to purchase him off us.

“He did a good job and showed us he was going to be a hell of a three-year-old if he went on, but I think the exciting thing about this bloke is you see his racing mannerism and you see him physically here beside these other horses today and although he's an extremely attractive colt he's got a lot of maturity ahead of him and that usually means a lot of improvement.”

Jockey Luke Nolen: “There is a woman down there I got engaged to on this day in 2006, so I don't know if I'll get down on a bended knee tonight.

“It’s a tremendous feeling. We were scratching our heads a bit thinking where are we going to end up in the run … were we going to be in a lot of traffic?
“He's run well. I gave him a squeeze … they went slow, we were box seated … and the rest is history!

“He is a real professional. You wouldn't believe the same horse turns up here race days the one you pull out of the box and work of a morning because he's a bit of a slob.

“He's not a very interested horse. He just takes his time and he's a bit relaxed like me and when you put the two of us together we need a mate because we don't do any work at all.

“There is improvement I think, and for the pair of us a little bit too I suppose, but it's just great.

“He's got a fantastic pedigree. You mightn't see him again this spring but that's a crowning part of his preparation and we're all too pleased.

“My wife’s still hanging in there for an eternity ring so might I get that one this time!”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Anacheeva): 6.00 throughout betting.
Equal favourite (Toorak Toff) 5.00 throughout. Finished fourth.
Equal favourite (Ilovethiscity): 4.40 out to 5.50 in to 5.00. Finished tenth.

Horse to follow: Winner Anacheeva got all the favours in the run. Masquerader made good ground from out of the ruck at his first anti-clockwise way of going.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After arriving on course Toorak Toff was examined by the Club’s veterinary surgeon and passed fit to run.

Shortly after the start Rekindled Interest was severely crowded between Fort Chauvel which shifted in and Toorak Toff which was taken out by Epic Dragon which shifted out abruptly. As a result of this incident Rekindled Interest blundered and lost considerable ground.

Also shortly after the start Intencion was crowded by Quarterbar which shifted in slightly and Masquerader which was taken out by Run for Levi.

Seriously Good was slow to begin.

Approaching the 800m Toorak Toff, which was still pulling hard, shifted out to a position four off the fence without cover.

Rounding the home turn Quarterbar was endeavouring to shift out to improve and in doing so forced Cosmonaut and Smokin’ Joey wider on the track.

Bullbars raced wide.

Quarterbar had difficulty obtaining clear running inside the 200m.

Toorak Toff lost its near-hind plate during the race.

Seriously Good was retired out of the event and failed to finish. A subsequent veterinary examination of Seriously Good revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-hind leg and trainer Mr P Morgan was advised that a veterinary certificate of fitness is required prior to racing again.

A post-race veterinary examination of Hollowlea revealed no abnormalities.

M Walker (Fort Chauvel) reported that in his opinion his mount would be better suited once gelded as it over-raced in the early and middle stages and then hung out abruptly making the turn near the 1300m.

G Boss (Ilovethiscity) was of the view that the colt did not feel right in its action however a post-race veterinary examination of Ilovethiscity revealed no abnormalities.

D Oliver (Toorak Toff) explained that his mount pulled too hard in the early stages and he was obliged to shift out to a three wide position to gain some cover behind Bullbars near the 1300m.

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