FLEM NOV 02 - CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES FOR LAING AS SPECTROLITE WINS

By Taron Clarke | Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Flemington, November 2, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - Out 3m. Penetrometer 4.83.
AGL Solar Power Stakes (Listed) 2YO Fillies SW - 1000m.
Time: 58.52. 600m Sectional: 34.96. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Spectrolite; 2 Military Grace; 3 Dinner Date.
Margins: 0.5L x 2.3L.

Trainer Robbie Laing and jockey Craig Williams combined again to win the Listed AGL Solar Power Stakes for the second consecutive year when Spectrolite scored a barnstorming victory in the 2010 edition of the event.

Twelve months earlier the Laing and Williams combination scored with She’s Got Gears in the race when the pair beat Shaaheq and subsequent Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily.

Spectrolite had benefited from a trial down the Flemington straight last Tuesday on the back of an official barrier trial at Cranbourne in early October, where she finished a close third.

Spectrolite reeled in the Gold Coast filly Military Grace, who looked the winner, to score by a half-length with two and a quarter lengths back to Dinner Date for David Hayes and Gerald Mosse.

By the all-conquering sire of two year olds Stratum, Spectrolite will be given time to mature before a possible tilt at the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robbie Laing: “I turned to Lee Freedman in the trainer's room and I said, ‘it must be an easy race to win this.’

“Very similar to last year's winner She's Got Gears actually … in their racing styles. They miss the start, get back a long way and finish over the top of them. Yeah, very similar.

“She's a beautiful moving filly. She's done an enormous job.

“Someone asked me if I knew how good she went? She's still being educated. She won a trial here last Tuesday. Bombed the start here today and just ran home over the top of them, so she’s quite promising.

“I didn't buy her until June or July up in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast, so she took three or four weeks to get home. I think we broke her in in August.

“She went to the sales. I think she'd just been bought out of the paddock in fairness to the horse, but she was a very good walker.

“A Rory's Jester mare under Stratum. It was just speed, speed, speed and the Stratum's were going well so we were happy to grab her.

“It was the mid-year sale at the Magic Millions where they don't bring astronomical money. She'd been a little bit under-prepared. She was quite hairy … right down the back blocks of the sales. I took a liking to her and we bought her.

“She trialled at Cranbourne at the officials and went better than I thought she would. She jumped in front and just bowled along in front with Danny Nikolic and she was only three-parts fit.

“She came out here last week and Ben Melham rode her and he said it trialled really well.

“You win these races with pure speed, but she got back a long way and was very strong at the finish.

“Magic Millions 1200 metres in January might be the go.”

Jockey Craig Williams: “I didn't like her in the mounting yard. She's a bit new and went to the gates a bit fired up and everything but as soon as she got behind the gates, I had Mal Cameron (Clerk of the Course) take her down there to the stalls and get relaxed.

“Halfway down I was more comfortable on her and then behind the gates and she just turned into a racehorse.

“She jumped out only reasonable and then I was able to get on the back of Michael Rodd, on Military Grace.

Michael put a couple of lengths on me, but I just felt when she got clear she just wasn’t going to be beaten. She just seemed to lengthen really well and won with nice authority.

“Happy owners on Melbourne Cup day. They've had a winner with a horse having her first start. They get to enjoy one of the luxuries of being a lucky owner on Melbourne Cup day.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Spectrolite): 15.00.
Favourite (Pimento): 4.40. Finished tenth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Oamaru Rose shifted out and bumped Star of Coureuse on jumping.

Shortly after this incident Spectrolite, Win For Layla and Danzoff were crowded for room between Star of Coureuse which continued to shift out and Military Grace which shifted in.

Haraka Sana was slow to begin (two lengths).

Inside the final 200m Win For Layla shifted out under pressure.

Spectrolite lost its near-fore plate during the running of the race.

Post race veterinary examinations of Haraka Sana and Win For Layla both revealed no abnormalities.

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