EF OCT 16 - RACING STRIPES TAKES HIS FOLLOWERS ON A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Eagle Farm, October 16, 2010.
Track - Heavy 8. Rail - out 4.5m.
QTIS Handicap (2yo’s) - 1000m.
Time: 1-02.87. Last 600m: 38.60. (Carrying 54kg).
1 Racing Stripes; 2 Zed Man; 3 Dazzling Kind.
Margins: 1.25; Short-neck.

Ten two-year-olds stepped up to face the starter here and it was the Barry Baldwin trained Racing Stripes who went home with the win.

The chestnut son of Mossman was a long price on the betting boards, but he was not without support as his price shortened from a call of $21.00 to a starting price of $17.00.

Those who took the odds were taken on a roller-coaster ride in the running.

Racing Stripes showed impressive gate speed from his outside draw. He landed in the leading line before going back to third place, still wide out on the track, as Sistabella and Merryanna set a lively early target.

Approaching the turn the followers of the Baldwin trained runner were hanging on for dear life as Racing Stripes began to race erratically. He wanted to hang out, and did so quite markedly on the turn. Then, once corrected, he wanted to hang in on straightening as jockey Mitchell Wood fought hard to try and keep his mount balanced.

These indiscretions cost the gelding ground. By the time the corner had been negotiated, Racing Stripes found himself back in fifth place, five wide, five lengths off the leader with it all to do in the run home.

As Sistabella weakened out of it halfway up the straight, Merryanna shot to the lead with Zed Man, who had always been thereabouts, in hot pursuit.

In behind that Wood was still fighting to keep Racing Stripes on a straight course. At the 250m mark, Wood had to put the whip away, take a tight hold and pull his mount into line quite vigorously as the gelding again wanted to hang in.

Now, with Racing Stripes just starting to get the message and with the whip back in action, the lightly framed chestnut finally seemed to have found some focus … but she was still three lengths adrift of the leader with 220m left to run.

In the end, his run turned out to be perfectly timed. As Zed Man went up to take the lead away from the tiring Merryanna, so, in turn, did Racing Stripes range up to relegate Zed Man back into second placing.

The roller-coaster ride was completed with a rush of adrenalin as Racing Stripes went to the line 1.25 lengths clear of Zed Man.

Dazzling Kind caught the eye when running on into a creditable third placing. The race favourite, Pym’s Lane, had to settle for fourth placing. She was well enough placed to strike halfway up the straight but failed to find the extra gear required to threaten the winner.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “He’s done everything wrong at the track. He did everything wrong at the barrier trail recently.

“That’s why we thought we’d better put him in for a bit of education. He still did everything wrong and still won. Normally they can’t do that.

“He is small. He is only about 400kg, so he’s only a little fellow, but he’s got good go in him.”

Jockey Mitchell Wood: “He did everything wrong. He never did a single thing right except stand in the barriers.

“Mr Baldwin’s given him a few jump-outs, so you’d like to hope he knew what to do in the barriers.

“He was one of the first out, but, because he is so little, he took him forever to wind up. You know his legs go a hundred mile an hour.

“We got in there three deep from barrier eight. We were caught three deep, but, you know … this track … I reckon that’s right exactly where you want to be.

“It’s not ideal to be three deep early in the race, but down the straight he came out to right part.

“As I said, he did little right. He hung off the track and then he wanted to hang in when I got into him. At the 200m mark he wanted to hang in a little bit.

“We stopped. We straightened. I gave him a good squeeze and I gave him a good hard hit and he just pinged the last 100 which was really good to see.

“It was a good grinding win. He was three or four off them at the top of the straight. To go away and win strongly by a length … it was a big, big effort by the horse.

“Yeah, he did have a look at his stables when he came past there (Baldwin’s stables are at Eagle Farm). Mr Baldwin says a few of his runners have done that.

“You know, I probably would still give him one more without blinkers and then go to blinkers … just so they learn exactly what they need to do.

“It might make a racehorse, this one.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Racing Stripes): 16.00 out to 21.00 in to 17.00.
Favourite (Pym’s Lane): 3.40 steady. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sistabella (M. Hellyer) was tightened for room on jumping away between Another Actress (J. Bowditch) and Pym's Lane (S. Katsidis), both of which shifted ground.

Rapid Jet Spur (R. Wiggins) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground.

Top Button (J. Wood) and Dazzling Kind (J. Byrne) began awkwardly.

Viking Heart (R. McMahon) was slow to begin.

Leaving the 500m Rapid Jet Spur, which was racing greenly, had to be steadied when momentarily tightened for room between Viking Heart and Top Button, which shifted out slightly after improving to the outside of the heels of Pym's Lane.

Racing Stripes (M. Wood) raced very greenly when placed under pressure in the straight.

A post-race veterinary examination of Another Actress failed to reveal any abnormalities.