FLEM NOV 04 - KING COBWEB BLOWS THEM AWAY

By Taron Clarke | Saturday, November 6, 2010

Flemington, November 4, 2010.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - Out 6m. Penetrometer: 5.02.
TCL Electronics Plate Open Rating 0-89 - 1400m.
Time: 1-24.22. 600m Sectional: 36.47. (Carrying 53kg).
1 King Cobweb; 2 Dead End; 3 Translation.
Margins: 0.2L x 0.8L

One of the feature novelty events over the four day Flemington Carnival is the TCL Electronics Plate which is strictly for grey gallopers.

Trainers come from far and wide to match their grey gallopers up against fellow restricted greys in what is quite a spectacle.

From Newcastle to Wagga Wagga, the greys came to Flemington to chase grey glory.

Looking Fur Lang was looking for his second win in the race after scoring previously in the 2008 running of the event with Corey Brown in the saddle.

But this year’s running went to a resident Victorian galloper King Cobweb.

Trained at Cranbourne by John Rattle the lightly raced son of Desert King won his second race in only seven starts.

In what was a long range plan for the trainer, King Cobweb was coming off a disappointing run first up in a Class 1 event at Sale where he finished seventh beaten just under six lengths.

But King Cobweb enjoyed the wide open spaces of Flemington and some cut in the ground to score a narrow and enthralling victory for jockey Chris Symons over the favourite Dead End by a long head with three quarters of a length back to Alpha Proxima in third placing.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Rattle: “Great thrill really this is for me and the family. We're very happy!

“I had the mother. She had dropped a couple of city winners. She's retired now.

“She's probably well in her twenties, but there's one more to come after King Cobweb.

“We planned this about three months ago … that we would like to give him one run in the bush and try to see if we could win this, which we have … so it's great.”

Jockey Chris Symons: “He's a horse I've always wanted to stick with knowing that he was coming today to the greys race.

“To be honest with you, it's a race I've always wanted to win. It's an unusual race a field of greys. I'm just rapt to tick it off.

“We all know I'm quite an odd person and this is just one race I've always wanted to win.

“He went really well last prep. I was really disappointed with him at Sale first up this prep, but I think on this rain-affected track today it really suited him.

“He's just a nice horse and he'll continue to perform.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (King Cobweb): 14.00 out to 15.00 into 14.00.
Favourite (Dead End): 3.00 out to 3.20. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Dead End (NZ) shifted in abruptly at the start crowding Toy Master which in turn shifted in and contacted Libby’s Daughter.

King Cobweb lost its off-hind plate during the race.

Near the 400m after improving to the outside of the heels of Dead End (NZ), King Cobweb was obliged to shift out taking Looking Fur Lang out onto Gandalf The White which in turn shifted out and hampered Libby’s Daughter.

M Zahra (Looking Fur Lang) explained that his mount never travelled during the race and would be better suited on drier tracks.

A post race veterinary examination of Looking Fur Lang revealed the gelding had sustained superficial abrasions to its near-hind leg.

C Williams (Libby’s Daughter) reported that his mount over-raced in the early stages and in his opinion need to be brought back in distance where it would be better suited with some speed in the race.

A post race veterinary examination of Libby’s Daughter revealed no abnormalities.

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