FLEM NOV 06 - RISING STAR BIGELOW CHARGES HOME

By Taron Clarke | Monday, November 8, 2010

Flemington, November 6, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 9m. Penetrometer: 4.72.
Hilton Hotel Stakes (Listed) 3YO Open - 1400m.
Time: 1-24.15. 600m Sectional: 35.27. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Bigelow; 2 Yorkshire Lad; 3 Territory.
Margins: 0.3L x 0.2L

Caulfield trainer Clinton McDonald may have found a possible replacement for the families superstar galloper Weekend Hussler after Bigelow produced a barnstorming victory at Flemington in the Listed Hilton Hotel Stakes over 1400 metres.

Weekend Hussler was only recently retired by Clintons father Ross McDonald after the champion galloper went amiss again.

Bigelow, the veteran of only four career starts has shown a great deal of promise in his racetrack performances and gave all a taste of what might be to come when he stormed home to grab a narrow, but enthralling victory.

Ridden by jockey Brad Rawiller, the son of Australian Guineas winner Al Maher was sent out the punters elect in betting at 4.30 after firming from 4.80.

McDonald is of the opinion the gelding will be a top quality autumn three-year-old and has his eye firmly fixed on a race like the Australian Guineas run over 1600 metres at Flemington in March.

McDonald will monitor the gelding in the coming days before deciding about backing the horse up in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas on Saturday.

Bigelow came from well back in the field with an inch perfect ride to score by a neck over Yorkshire Lad. The equal top-weight Territory finished a further head astern in third place.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Clinton McDonald: “He's a really nice horse. He's shown us a fair bit at home. He's been a late maturer.

"He's shown us a lot in galloping, but in his two trials he got beat probably thirty or forty lengths.

“We'll see how he pulls up with regards to the Sandown Guineas.

“He's a horse that we think's got a pretty bright future.

"We think he's definitely up to the better three-year-olds, but he's definitely going to improve with a break.

"We'll let the horse tell us and we'll make a decision.

“I really think he's going to be an autumn three-year-old, I've said that to the owners the whole way along … so this is just a bonus really.

Jockey Brad Rawiller: “Very impressive today. It was a great win at Moonee Valley (when beating Blooded in his previous start), but after he straightened he still got a little bit lost trying to pick them up.

‘Today he was a little bit lost early and just with the new track it took me a little bit to get him to take the bridle.

“I was carrying the stick in the left hand in case he laid in, but I was needing to swap it into the right. When it came to the crunch I was very confident.

“Just all of a sudden he came into gear before the corner and I thought, ‘he'll be hard to beat here' and he done the job. It was a great effort.

“He's just very raw and immature. He’s got the ability there. He's working for you.

"Each time you ask him and need his help he sort of responds. He’s just a little bit still new. He'll get there.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Bigelow): 4.20 out to 4.80 into 4.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Whatanexcuse (NZ) was slow to begin and then a short distance later, when shifting in blundered after clipping the heels of Jaggers.

Approximately 50 metres after the start Chasse layed out tightening the running of No Hesitation and Handsome Hero (NZ) which had to be restrained.

Passing the 1200 metres Jaggers shifted out and made heavy contact with Handsome Hero (NZ) which became unbalanced.

Yorkshire Lad raced wide without cover throughout.

N Hall (Jaggers) advised that he felt there was something amiss with the gelding’s action. A subsequent veterinary examination failed to reveal any abnormality.

K McEvoy was reprimanded for breaching the provisions of AR137(A)(5)(a)(i) in that he used his whip in consecutive strides prior to the 100 metres.

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