MV OCT 23 - FREEDMAN AND WALKER COME UP TRUMPS WITH ZUBBAYA

By Taron Clarke | Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Moonee Valley, October 23, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - True. Penetrometer 4.61.
Arrow Training Service Stakes 3YO Fillies Handicap - 1600m.
Time: 1-37.87. 600m Sectional: 35.58. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Zubbaya; 2 Absolutely; 3 Ambers Waltz.
Margins: 3.8L x 1.2L.

Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman has been in white hot form for the past four weeks and the winning roll continued at Moonee Valley on Saturday afternoon when Zubbaya led from barrier to box for kiwi jockey Michael Walker.

Walker, who has previously held a short association with Freedman in 2004, has also been in rare form after a winning double at the Caulfield Cup meeting a week earlier.

After an unplaced run at Flemington behind Eclair Surprise over 1800 metres, Freedman brought the three-year-old daughter of Dubawi back in distance to the mile and added blinkers to the fillies racing gear and these changes brought immediate success in spite of the fact that the Darley owned galloper was sent out as an alarming drifter in betting after easing from 5.50 out to start 8.00.

Sydney trained filly Ambers Waltz was sent out the solid favourite at 3.40. She was partnered by triple Melbourne Cup winning hoop Glen Boss.

From barrier rise Walker signalled his intentions early by sending Zubbaya straight to the front from her extreme outside barrier.

Walker eased the filly down to a canter as soon as she reached the front and the pair enjoyed an uncontested lead by two lengths over Plastic Fantastic and favourite Ambers Waltz.

Controlling the speed to a nicety, Walker was able to sneak some cheap sectionals through the mid stages of the affair which saw ten lengths cover the field of three-year-olds.

Zubbaya and Michael Walker gradually increased the tempo from the 600 metre mark and this made it hard for the backmarkers to make any ground as they flushed out four and five wide back in the field to come with their runs.

Full of running round the hometurn Walker gave the Zubbaya a few flicks behind the saddle and she bounded clear by three lengths to the favourite Ambers Waltz. There was a further length and a half to the remainder of the field headed by Absolutely.

Absolutely ran home strongly over the final furlong but the first 800 metres of the event told the tail as Zubbaya and Walker went further in front.

Zubbaya, under the brilliant poise and balance of Walker, was strong to the line to record an easy victory by just under four lengths to the good of Absolutely with a length and a quarter back to the favourite Ambers Waltz in third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Lee Freedman: “I do think the blinkers helped and obviously Michael (Walker) rode a great race from an awkward gate.

“I said ‘don't be too afraid about going to the front if you need to.’

“She's always been a filly we’ve had a good opinion of. The blinkers were an extension after a mediocre run at Flemington against the colts … when she looked like she was going to win the race but sort of lost concentration. I guess when we get to the pointy end of these races we've got to try things.

“I think a mile to mile-and-a-quarter might see this filly out, but I'll have a talk to the lads at Darley. They might want to run in the Wakeful next week and see.

“I'm really proud of Michael. When he came over as a kid he got into a lot of trouble and could have ended up really badly off, but he's got his act together and no one's riding better than Michael, that's why I wanted to put him on.

“Often this race is won by a swooper, but when she got those cheap sectionals she was always going to be hard to run down.”

Jockey Michael Walker: “Obviously Lee's been a great supporter of mine last time I was here … until I ended up going home … but to get one back for Lee and also Darley is tremendous.

“I'm always thankful for the big owners and trainer for putting me on their horses.

“The addition of the blinkers, which obviously comes from Lee himself and previous riders, it fixed her as a horse.

“She jumped the traps. I didn't necessarily want her to lead, but I got there that easy I was surprised they just sat off me and left me alone.

“I thought maybe the favourite, Ambers Waltz, might have taken me on a little bit more, but because I was going so easy it gave me a chance to go a lot earlier than I wanted to.

“It was like a trackwork gallop for her."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Zubbaya): 5.50 out 8.50 into 8.00.
Favourite (Ambers Waltz): 3.00 into 2.90 out to 3.40. Finished third.

Horse to follow: The first half mile of the event was run in 50.1 seconds which gave the horses outside the leading three no hope of making ground. Michael Walker has proven to very adept when on a front runner and continued the trend here. Absolutely made excellent ground late in the piece and will be suited by a genuinely run race next time out.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
At the start Follonica shifted in abruptly causing crowding to Plastic Fantastic which in turn shifted in making heavy contact with Hidden Kisses which got unbalanced, shifted in and bumped Rose Of Peace.

Rounding the turn near the 1200m Rose Of Peace over-raced for some distance having to be checked off the heels of Baboosh. Hidden Kisses which was following had to be eased.

At the same time Attributes which was also racing keenly had to be eased off the heels of Absolutely.

Plastic Fantastic pulled hard in the early stages.

Passing the 800m Rose Of Peace which was continuing to pull hard shifted out to avoid the heels of Baboosh and as a result this forced Hidden Kisses much wider on the track without cover.

Follonica raced wide without cover throughout.

Passing the 200m Queen’s Fashion was placed in restricted room between Attributes and Baboosh which was commencing to give ground and as result Queen’s Fashion was steadied and shifted out in an effort to gain clear running in the straight.

Rounding the home turn Rose Of Peace was disappointed for clear running between Marvellous Miss and Follonica before shifting to the outside near the 150m.

D Dunn (Queen’s Fashion) explained that his mount gave the impression that it wanted to buck on leaving the barriers and for this reason got further back in the field than he would’ve liked and as a result the filly wasn’t suited to the style of racing given the slow tempo for the first half of the race.

On examination of the video Queen’s Fashion did appear to be reluctant to get into stride.

C Williams (Follonica) was of the view the filly would be better suited when brought back in distance with a fast run race.

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