EF OCT 09 - LUCKY DUBAI ON A ROLL

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Eagle Farm, October 9, 2010.
Track - Heavy 10. Rail - out 2.5m.
Fillies And Mares Quality Handicap - 1600m.
Time: 1-41.89. Last 600m: 38.65. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Lucky Dubai; 2 Winmara; 3 La Bella Luisa.
Margins: Neck; 2.25.

You will have to look long and hard to find a horse in Queensland that that is making better progress than the Kim Craft trained Lucky Dubai at the moment.

The daughter of Dubai Destination completed a hat-trick of wins at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

All three successive wins have come over the 1600m trip and these results are notable for the fact that they were achieved in good, slow and heavy going, underlining Lucky Dubai’s ability to deal with the whole range of race-track conditions.

In the process the smart chestnut has taken her record for this season to four wins from five starts.

The general racing pattern of Lucky Dubai is to get back and come with a barnstorming finish. Even knowing that though, followers of the mare have been shaking their heads ‘wondering’ as the field turned for home.

Earlier, the words of the race commentator, ‘Lucky Dubai has gone straight out the back. It’s last when they hit the ground,’ had aptly described jockey Eddie Wilkinson’s intention to ride the horse very quietly early on.

Later in the back-straight the commentator again put the chestnut’s challenge into simple perspective with the comment, ‘Lucky Dubai will have to come from the tail to win.’ At that stage Lucky Dubai trailed the early leader Beyonce’s Star by nine lengths.

Beyonce’s Star still led early in home straight. Fly To Win was her closest danger with Yarmarjie and La Bella Luisa also prominent. Lucky Dubai was now second last, still well out of her ground, as Wilkinson was shifting Lucky Dubai out wider on the track, lining up his run to the finish.

Fly To Win went past Beyonce’s Star with 220m left to run, but these leaders were only whacking away and were vulnerable to any runner who could raise the ante by finding real acceleration in the heavy underfoot conditions.

The first horse to do that was Winmara, who was taking the shortest way home down the inside of the track. The seven-year-old firstly ranged into contention and then pushed forward to claim the lead inside the final 110m.

The eye-catcher though was Lucky Dubai. Still those nine lengths back on cornering, Lucky Dubai was smoothly going through her gears, all the time making up ground on the leaders.

With 250m left to run the nine length deficit had been cut to seven lengths. Building more momentum, Lucky Dubai had that margin down to a little over four lengths 150m from the line … then she was within two and a bit lengths of the lead at the 100m mark … then only a length back with 50m left to run … then she was in front when it mattered most as Wilkinson guided Lucky Dubai home to an inch perfect victory.

Winmara was game in defeat. She gave her all to the line but in the end Lucky Dubai had prevailed by a neck.

Lucky Dubai is now a seven-time winner from eighteen starts with $138750 in stake earnings.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kim Craft: “She’s improving every time she goes out. I know what she is like. I think she is something a little bit special.”

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson: “Today, she travelled very well through the run. I was always happy with her.

“Once I started to ask her to increase her pace at about the 500 and track into the race she wasn’t that comfortable.

“She wasn’t enjoying it that much when I let her off the bridle. I was worried for probably fifty metres. I thought, gee … we’re not going to pick up.

“The instructions were, you must get her to the outside. I did see Winmara dash through on the inside. It did worry me a bit, but she’s just tough and I knew I’d got her on the line.

“Obviously she’s got a bit of class and a lot of heart.

“All credit to Kim (Craft). She had her spot on today and she was just too good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Lucky Dubai): 4.40 out to 4.80.
Favourite (Geblitzt): 3.10 out to 4.00. Finished ninth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Upon arrival at the barriers, Fly To Win was attended to by the club's farrier as it had shifted its near-fore plate during its preliminary.

Telestah La Vistah (T. Bell) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out, making heavy contact with Montana Hilton (M. Cahill).

Shortly after the start, Winmara (P. Hammersley) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Pinpoint Accuracy (M. Hellyer), which shifted out.

After passing the 600m, La Bella Luisa (J. Byrne) shifted out and made heavy contact with Winmara.

J. Byrne, rider of La Bella Luisa, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that shortly after entering the straight near the 400m, he permitted his mount to shift out when insufficiently clear of Geblitzt (R. Wiggins), resulting in Geblitzt having to be checked to avoid the heels of La Bella Luisa.

J. Byrne was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 13 October and to expire at midnight, 23 October 2010.

Vitex (S. Seamer), Montana Hilton and Telestah La Vistah raced wide throughout.

R. Wiggins, rider of Geblitzt, which performed below expectations, explained that the mare had a tendency to over-race in the early and middle stages, however failed to respond to his riding from the 600m and, in his opinion, may be feeling the effects of recent racing.

Trainer S. O'Dea agreed with R. Wiggins' assessment and confirmed that the mare would now be sent for a spell.

A post race veterinary examination of Geblitzt failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

More articles