DOOM NOV 06 - WIN A MILLION DOUBLE’S UP

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Doomben, November 6, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 4.5m. Penetrometer: 5.3.
No Metro Wins Handicap (Fillies & Mares) - 1350m.
Time: 1-20.07 (Carrying 51.5kg). Last 600m: 34.49.
1 Win A Million; 2 Gondola Girl; 3 Lively Lillie.
Margins: 4.25; Short-neck.

Win A Million, the smart Half Hennessy mare, completed a double success and made it three wins from four starts this prep when she embarrassed her rivals with a runaway 4.25 length victory at Doomben on Saturday.

It is not only the speed at which the scoreboard is moving that is impressive, but it is also the manner in which the three wins have been achieved by the Kelly Schweida trained four-year-old that has caught attention.

Win A Million was still a Maiden after her first prep which consisted of five starts over distances ranging from 900m to 1400m. She had two runner-up finishes to her credit during that time, but none of her results in those first five starts gave any indication of what was to come.

After a five month spell (from April to September) Win A Million resumed a far more formidable racehorse than she had been during her three-year-old campaign.

She shed her Maiden ticket first-up. She then finished a game second to the more than useful, very speedy, Zippy Lou when jumping to Class 3 company.

Undeterred, Win a Million again tackled a Class 3 event in her next start and this time she trounced the opposition by a clear-cut 4.50 length margin.

On Saturday her winning margin was 4.25 lengths, a result which once again underlined her dominance over her rivals as well as highlighting the rapid progress Win A Million is making at this time.

Apprentice Ashley Butler has had the ride on Win A Million in all four starts this campaign.

On Saturday the young rider jumped the mare out smartly from the gates, settled her comfortable just behind the speed, switched out four wide into clear running at the top of the straight

It wasn’t evident from the grandstand, but Butler was a little anxious at this time (see Winner Feedback), but his concern only lasted for a brief moment.

Butler pressed the button early and, such was Win A Million’s response, it was ‘race over’ before the runners were even halfway down the straight.

With victory sealed that early, Butler was able to turn the concluding stages into a victory procession for the short-priced favourite.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “She wins her race in a couple of strides. She does put pay to them quick doesn’t she?

“There way she gets up there early and gets out of trouble is probably her biggest attribute. She makes her own luck.

“The kid (Ashley Butler) rode her good. We told him, try to get her balanced up first and then try to sit on her as long as he could.

“She can really accelerate the last little bit.

“She’s got a quite a good pedigree on her mother’s side. She’s related to the Bold Promise family.

"The bar keeps going up. We keep stepping her up and she keeps taking the next step.

“She was only a Maidener at the start of this prep. That’s her third win now and she’s certainly winning with something in hand. Very good.

“She’s always had a bad back this filly. We are training her a little differently and it seems to work.

“She won over 1400m the other day. Look, I’m not quite sure about the best distance right now. We’ll probably leave her at this sort of distance because she’s got a fair bit of speed.

“I think probably the further they go the slower they go, so I’ll probably leave her at this sort of distance.

Jockey Ashley Butler: “She is lovely. She is a little bit skatty … but you can put up with it when they’ve got ability like that.

“I got in one off the fence where I wanted to be, you know, close to the lead.

“Coming to the turn they sort of got me off the bit a little bit. Last time I was here (when running second to Zippy Lou on October 6) she was unbalanced around the run.

"I just had to pick her up … pick her up … get around the turn and when I went for her she really let down nice.

“What amazed me today was that, coming around the turn, I was off the bit, you know. I thought I was gone.

“I picked her up and put her back on the bridle around the turn … and then I gave her a bit of a slap up. When I really went for her she gapped them!”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Win A Million): 1.80 in to 1.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Striking Rose (A. Taylor) over-raced in the early stages and for some distance passing the 1000m had to be restrained to avoid the heels of Win A Million (A. Butler).

Joyeux Joy (M. Cahill) raced wide throughout.

Near the 500m Koranovsky (L. Cassidy) had to be eased when tightened for room between Striking Rose and Gondola Girl (J. Holder), which shifted out slightly. Gabarlis Girl (J. Wood), which was following, was also inconvenienced.

Rounding the home turn and in the home straight until after passing the 100m Charsui (C. Munce) was held up when unable to obtain clear running.