CAUL OCT 09 - SO YOU THINK HAS FEATURE ON A PLATE

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, October 10, 2010

Caulfield, October 9, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.28.
Yalumba Stakes 3YO+ WFA (Group 1) - 2000m.
Time: 2-02.45. 600m Sectional: 33.50. (Carrying 58kg).
1 So You Think; 2 Alcopop; 3 Whobegotyou.
Margins: 3.3L x 1.5L.

So You Think continued his march towards a defence of his Cox Plate title with an effortless win in the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes over 2000 metres.

The magnificent looking entire is the new pin up horse in Australasian racing after disposing of his rivals with utter contempt on all three occasions this time in.

The Bart Cummings trained son of High Chaparral is now an odds-on favourite to defend his Cox Plate title and become the first horse to win the 2040 metre championship at ages three and four.

So You Think is also now a pronounced favourite for the race that stops a nation, the Melbourne Cup ahead of last year’s winner Shocking.

From barrier three So You Think and jockey Steven Arnold were quickly into stride and rolled forward to track across behind early pacemaker Red Ruler.

Red Ruler ran the field along through the early stages and this allowed Arnold to settle the red hot favourite down two lengths astern of the leader.

Two lengths behind So You Think was the remainder of the field which was headed by Master O’Reilly and Whobegotyou.

Alcopop and Empires Choice raced as a pair at the rear of field and were some ten lengths off Red Ruler inside the 1400 metre turn.

The pace slackened visibly inside the 1000 metre pole and this allowed the field to compact somewhat.

Michael Rodd on board the second elect Whobegotyou saw this as a perfect opportunity to track right on to the back of So You Think. This would be as close as the pair got.

Red Ruler quickened the pace up inside the 600 metres and So You Think surged up to eyeball the kiwi visitor as the field commenced the swing for home.

Rounding the home turn Arnold and So You Think really served it up to Red Ruler, and the Cummings trained entre sailed away in the early part of the straight to lead out by three lengths from Whobegotyou and Red Ruler.

Alcopop had tracked through the field on to the back of Whobegotyou and was coming with his run.

Steven Arnold put So You Think under pressure at the 300 metre mark and the entire raced away by four lengths to Whobegotyou and Alcopop.

While the race for first place was over, Alcopop raced straight passed Whobegotyou over the final 100 metres to signal to return to form.

But it was all So You Think and he was eased down over the final 50 metres to canter in by three and a quarter lengths over an improved run from Alcopop and a further length and a half back to the heartbroken Whobegotyou.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Bart Cummings Stable Foreman Reg Fleming: “It's pretty good with those sorts of wins like that … pretty painless!

“Any win's good before the Cox Plate, but that was extra special today.

“I think the run the other day took a bit of sting out of him and he's just slipping into his stride now.

“We will just take him along quite. He's got a good work rider, good staff looking after him at home and he pretty much likes it that way.

“Compared to the good horses we’d had, Saintly is on a pedestal on his own in my opinion, but this horse is going the right way.

“He's very good and we are glad to have him.

“After watching that Bart (who was not at the track) would be a lot better. He'll be down very soon.”

Jockey Steven Arnold: “He was beautiful in the run today.

“He dropped the bridle for the first half.

“They just slowed up passing the 1200 metres and started coming out off his back and I wanted to be flowing at the 600 metres so it wasn't a sit up to the 100 metres and sprint, so he powered around the corner and he was just too good.

“The other day he got a bit stirred up and he wanted to over-race a bit early today, but when he dropped the bit through the first half I was pretty confident about of five furlongs from home.

“As I say I wanted to get going a little bit early on him because I'd had a soft time and he just powered out of the bend.

“Well he led and won it last year (the Cox Plate) so it's great to have an on pace, good weight-for-age horse and I think that adds a lot to them.

“Sure they can all get beat, but he's got a good style and he's going great, Joey Agresta and Reg Fleming have done a great job with him to tick over between runs and he'll take some beating.

“He's just a magnificent horse you know.

“I wipe my feet before I get on him. He's beautiful. He's first class and a pleasure to ride him.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (So You Think): 1.40 throughout betting.
The winner was the favourite.

Horse to follow: Only bad luck will see So You Think not win the Cox Plate in two weeks’ time. The horse has improved with every run this campaign and looks primed for a fourth-up assault at Moonee Valley. Alcopop turned an excellent Cups trial and will be suited over further.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
A post-race veterinary examination of Empires Choice (NZ) revealed no abnormalities.

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