CAUL OCT 16 - DIZLAGO RACES INTO OAKS CONTENTION

By Taron Clarke | Monday, October 18, 2010

Caulfield, October 16, 2010.
Track - Heavy 10. Rail - Out 6m. Penetrometer 6.45.
Sportingbet Stakes (Listed) 3YO Fillies Handicap - 2000m.
Time: 2-08.44. 600m Sectional: 39.25. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Dizlago; 2 Placement; 3 Bride Salama.
Margins: 3.3L x 3.7L.

Lee Freedman took the wraps off his VRC Oaks contender when Dizlago scored an effortless win in the Listed Sportingbet Stakes over 2000 metres.

The well-bred daughter of Encosta De Lago has promised to win a decent race in her five racetrack starts to date and Saturday’s win maybe the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her future.

Dizlago’s dam Dizelle, was herself an Oaks winner in the 2005 AJC Oaks at Randwick. In turn Dizelle’s dam Danelagh won the 1998 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes over 1200 metres for two year olds.

Funnily enough the breeding is linked not only to the horse, but to the jockey who partnered Dizlago as well.

Nick Hall having his second ride on the filly has his own pedigree relation to his winning mount.

Nick Hall’s father Greg, was the winning rider on Danelagh in the Blue Diamond Stakes back in 1998.

So there is a pedigree to the filly and it looks like Dizlago might be able to join her illustrious relatives by winning a feature Group 1 in the not too distant future.

Dizlago jumped away well from the 2000 metres start and Hall was content to settle the filly down on the fence in the second half of the field, some six lengths off the leader who was Golden Tabby.

The field hacked along to the turn at the top of the track with Golden Tabby still out in front. Mark Pegus rated the daughter of Tiger Hill to perfection and the pair enjoyed an uncontested lead.

Favourite for the event was the Patrick Payne trained Our Pride And Joy. Ridden by Craig Williams, the filly settled in fourth position, five lengths behind the pacemaker.

Jockey Mark Pegus let Golden Tabby have some more rein inside the 600 metre mark and she kicked out to lead by two lengths approaching the home turn.

The favourite Our Pride And Joy moved into second position rounding the corner, although she was under sufferance.

Closing up behind the leaders was Dizlago. Hall had not spent a penny in the run and the Freedman filly saved ground along the fence to be within striking distance on the turn.

As soon as Dizlago got on to the back of the leaders heels, Hall eased her out in to open running and the well bred filly raced up to grab the lead.

Inside the 300 metres Dizlago and Hall cleared out to lead by four lengths over Placement, who was coming down the outside of the field, and a wall of runners fighting it out for third.

But Dizlago was in a world of her own.

Hall sat up on the Freedman filly and the pair scored a confortable three and a quarter length win over Placement with Bride Salama a further three and three quarter lengths astern in third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Lee Freedman: “She's been our Oaks filly from day dot.

“Where I was confused today was with the ground. She ran terrible first up on slow ground and she pulled up with a bit of an issue and we were a bit inconclusive as to whether she handled the ground, but I did say to John Tickell (part-owner) ‘that you're a bit stiff if you get an Encosta De Lago that can't handle the wet.’

“Well, I think the good thing is we've earmarked her as a staying filly of considerable promise and she's delivered today and the Oaks is looking pretty good for her.

“She's got some pretty lucky owners as well. We've won the VRC Oaks for Keith Biggs with Serenade Rose and her mother won an Oaks for John Hawkes.

“I sort of rank her about a Kensington Palace type filly. She didn't deliver until she got to ten furlongs (2000m) and this filly's done the same thing.”

Jockey Nick Hall: “I rode her first at Kilmore and she was very new then, but she's mentally really there now.

“She settles perfectly in the run and as you ask her she improves. The query was the ground today and she got through it really well. So she can probably go onto something a little better.

“I wouldn't be jumping off her in the Oaks, I reckon she'd be a chance for sure.

“We had a soft run down on the fence and copped some sort of bumping duel down on the fence there. She's only a little filly and she was strong through that tightness.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Dizlago): 8.00 out to 10.00.
Favourite (Our Pride And Joy): 3.60 out to 3.90 into 3.80. Finished sixth.

Horse to follow: The winner Dizlago churned through the going to score comfortable victory. She has been screaming out for the mile and a quarter trip and she will be a force to be reckoned with in the VRC Oaks.

Hard not to be impressed with Dizlago. Didn’t beat much, but when Hall asked her to quicken she put the race beyond doubt in a matter of strides.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Serene Tanie over-raced in the early and middle stages and then raced wide without cover from the 1300m.

Near the 500m, Speed Of Dark, which was commencing to give ground, was checked when having to avoid the heels of Our Pride And Joy after Speed Of Dark had shifted out after making contact with Bride Salama.

As a result of this incident, Dizlago which had obtained a run on the fence to the inside of Bride Salama, raced very tight for a short distance.

N Rawiller (Zutara) explained that in his view, the filly failed to handle the Caulfield circuit and would be better suited at Flemington on top of the ground.

A post-race veterinary examination of Our Pride And Joy revealed the filly to be suffering with the thumps.

A post-race veterinary examination of Speed Of Dark revealed no abnormalities.

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