FLEM OCT 30 - WHITEFRIARS SIZZLES IN SALINGER

By Taron Clarke | Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Flemington, October 30, 2010.
Track - Heavy 8. Rail - True. Penetrometer: 4.58.
Salinger Stakes (Group 2) Open Handicap - 1200m.
Time: 1-11.11. 600m Sectional: 36.80. (Carrying 52.5kg).
1 Whitefriars; 2 Beaded; 3 Response.
Margins: 0.8Lx 1.3L.

Whitefriars scored the biggest victory in his seventeen start career when he got through the going impressively to score a solid win in the Group 2 Salinger Stakes over 1200 metres at Flemington on Saturday.

Coming off the back of a win in track record time in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Randwick two weeks earlier, Whitefriars was again partnered by Jim Cassidy and the pair were sent out at 17.00 in a wide open betting market.

From the 1200 metre start at the top of the famous Flemington straight the field of sprinters jumped as one, but the second elect in the race Dubleanny quickly steered a path to the outside fence under regular rider Craig Newitt.

The remainder of the field came down the crown of the track and the sprinters were led a merry dance by Swift Alliance and Shellscrape.

Favourite Set for Fame settled just off the speed with Catapulted, who was another horse in the market.

Jim Cassidy on Whitefriars allowed the big strong son of Arena plenty of time to balance up in the second half of the field some six lengths off the leaders.

The field gathered momentum onto the course proper and beyond the 400 metre mark, the leaders were quickly challenged from all angles.

Whitefriars joined in down the centre of the track and with giant loping strides claimed the front inside the 200 metre mark and raced a length clear of Chasm along the inside and Group 1 winning mare Response out wide on the track.

Under strong riding from ‘Pumper’ Cassidy, the chestnut forged clear of his rivals to score a determined three quarter length win over Beaded, who made good late ground, with a length and a quarter back to Response in third.

The move by Craig Newitt to come solo down the outside fence didn’t pay dividends as the pair struggled into second last place.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Rick Worthington: “It was a good win. I'm very, very happy!

“I think today … not only the track conditions … but the fact this horse is more of a true miler type, he was able to slog it out. He is really more of a miler type that has been trained for shorter distances to keep him sound, so it helped him today.

“I think if he was just a speedy squib he might have struggled a bit … so that helped him.

“We were worried about it (the track). When it was downgraded to a Heavy 8, I thought, well, we could only work on the plan that he is by Arena out of a Marauding mare.

“I was happier before the track was downgraded, but he’s done a great job.

“I take my hat off to the horse, he's done a good job and a great ride by Jimmy Cassidy.

“I said to Jimmy before he went out, where we’ve drawn … we are on the crown of the track … let’s stay there.

“Yeah, we did have a new set of reins today. When Jimmy won on him last start, he came up to me and pulled me aside and said, ‘for God’s sake, can you get rid of the reins?’

“I said, ‘what’s up?’ He said, ‘you need a new set. Embarrassingly we got a new set. So part of my instructions today were, ‘we got the new reins Jimmy, now just do the job.

“If nothing else the reins helped.

“The key with this horse is we gelded him. We turned him out for about four or five months in a pretty rough paddock.

"A couple of times I went down through the winter to
visit him and he'd walk up to me as if to say ‘can I come in'. He had hair that long … but we were patient.

“The plan was that if we could perform to what we expected today he'll go to Western Australia and have a look at the Winterbottom Stakes.

“Personally it's a massive thing winning a race on VRC Derby Day because I'm trying to build a stable. It's about getting clients.

“It's one thing to be seen here, but it's another to perform, so I'm absolutely thrilled to bits.

“It is a pleasure to be here.”

Jockey Jim Cassidy: “Look, he’s really improved this bloke this time in.

“Gee I travelled good. He travelled like a winner the whole way.

“We talked before the race whether we'd handle it, but I went back to his two runs at Randwick when he ran second to Hot Danish and run very quick time and then broke the record last week.

“I was very confident. He's by Arena out of a Marauding mare so he ticked all the boxes.

“He's pretty keen, but we rode him confident today and made him travel through the ground.

“I didn't want him flopping around. He would have lost a bit of footing. I really made him use himself in the ground and it paid off.

“I think he can run up to seven furlongs. He broke a record at Randwick and I think even on top of the ground today he would have been competitive with the sprinters around, but fortunately with the weather he was still too good.

“I think he can take the next step. His attitude's changed and Rick's really turned him around.

“He can just keep going now. He has really improved. His racing manners have improved and he’s just putting everything into it. He’s a big boy, mate. It’s good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Whitefriars): 14.00 out to 18.00 into 17.00.
Favourite (Set For Fame): 4.60 out to 4.80. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Eagle Falls was a late withdrawal at 2.30pm and All Silent was withdrawn at 3.11pm due to the downgrade of the track.

Whitefriars jumped away awkwardly.

Shortly after the start Swift Alliance shifted out taking Quick Peek out onto Set For Fame.

Near the 1100m Quick Peek continued to shift out taking Set For Fame out onto Beaded resulting in Dorf Command having to be steadied away from the heels of Beaded.

G Schofield rider of Quick Peek was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under the provisions of AR137a, the careless riding being that after passing the 200m he permitted his mount to shift out, whilst riding along, and in doing so was insufficiently clear of Dorf Command resulting in Dorf Command having to be eased to avoid his heels and also resulted in Swift Alliance being hampered.

G Schofield had his licence to ride in races suspended for a period to commence at midnight November 2 and to expire at midnight November 9, a total of seven race meetings (two city, five country).

In assessing penalty Stewards took into account the careless riding was in the low range category.

C Newitt (Dubleanny) reported that his mount did not handle today’s track conditions.

J Bowman (Shallscrape) reported that his mount travelled too keenly and failed to finish the race off.

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