CAUL OCT 16 - MR CHARD UPSTAGES SKILLED

By Taron Clarke | Monday, October 18, 2010

Caulfield, October 16, 2010.
Track - Heavy 10. Rail - Out 6m. Penetrometer 6.45.
Hoyts Food-Spices Stakes (Listed) 3YO C+G’s SW+P - 1400m.
Time: 1-27.17. 600m Sectional: 37.54. (Carrying 55kg).
1 Mr Chard; 2 Skilled; 3 Ace Acosta.
Margins: 1.5L x 0.1L.

Trainer Dean Lawson managed to upstage the all-conquering Peter Snowden yard with his galloper Mr Chard in the Listed Hoyts Food-Spices Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings at Caulfield on Saturday.

Peter Snowden had the hotpot in the event, Group 1 winner Skilled, a son of Commands.

After missing a run at Flemington two weeks ago due to an elevated temperature, Skilled was expected to be too strong for his rivals provided he got through the heavy going.

However, alarm bells were ringing in the betting ring when the Snowden galloper was an easing favourite to start at a quote of 3.20.

Mr Chard, ridden by Craig Williams was sent out a 5.50 chance after remaining rock solid at that price throughout betting.

Williams and Mr Chard jumped away well from the 1400 metre start, however Williams had to ease back to third last to get in one off the fence.

The favourite Skilled was sent straight to the front for Mark Zahra and the pair took up the running by a length to Ace Acosta on its immediate outside.

The pace of the race was only moderate down the side of the track and, at this stage of the event the favourite, Skilled was having things made to order in front.

Mr Chard and jockey Craig Williams were in second last place on the outside of runners, some five lengths off the favourite.

Danny Nikolic on Ace Acosta served it up to the favourite Skilled inside the 600 metres mark and the pair moved up to eyeball Zahra and Skilled.

Mr Chard was urged along to close on the leaders and Williams had the son of Al Samer in a clear fifth placing.

Rounding the final turn Skilled and Ace Acosta balanced up a length and half in front of Territory and Mr Chard on the outside.

Mr Chard joined in three deep at the 150 metre mark and under the urging’s of Williams struck the front over the favourite Skilled and Ace Acosta who were battling it out for second and third.

Mr Chard and jockey Craig Williams did their best work late and went on to score a comfortable length and a half win over the favourite Skilled, with a nose back to Lee Freeman’s galloper Ace Acosta in third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Dean Lawson: “He's been thereabouts and at Caulfield two runs ago, he had absolutely no luck at all. Every other start this time in he's been fantastic.

“He's no superstar, but he tries and he never really got through the going at all.

“You could see up the side, Craig (Williams) just had to keep a hold of his head, because he kept slipping and sliding, and he couldn't let his head go all the way up the straight.

“Thank goodness he was just good enough to win it.

“Craig rode him first up at Sandown and said ‘he absolutely hates it’ (the wet track), and I'm sure he's say the same thing again today … so get him on a good track over further and he's going to be a very nice horse.

“We bought the mother's half-brother as a yearling and that's what attracted us to him at the sales. We picked him up and picked his sister up the year later.

“We'll go to the Carbine Club (at Flemington) in two weeks and then he'll probably have a break and come back for the autumn.

“I'm sure he'll be better in the autumn.”

Jockey Craig Williams: “He got through it (the wet track) so that's really important.

“I guess for today's conditions we got a good insight when he was resuming.

"He carried 59kgs on his back when resuming at Sandown and when it gets heavy there, it's a genuine heavy, so I was pretty confident today on the ground.

“Obviously the topweight (Skilled) had far better form than any other horse in the race, so we were hoping that he didn't handle it.

“I envisaged that I would sit outside Territory and control the race a bit similar to Flemington, and basically Territory and my horse didn't have any gate speed, so we found ourselves further back.

“I was just lucky enough that I had the horse to be able to pick up on the going today.

“It's a genuine heavy track and that's the nature of the beast.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Mr Chard):5.50 steady.
Favourite (Skilled): 2.30 out to 3.20. Finished second.

Horse to follow: Not sure what to make of Skilled’s run. Travelled comfortably in the run however seemed to flounder in the going when Zahra let his head go. Forgive the run and wait for him back on top of the ground.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
M Rodd (Goldstone) reported after the race that passing the 800m, his mount faltered.

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