DOOM NOV 20 - DANAGAZE ON THE MOVE

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Doomben, November 20, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m. Penetrometer: 4.6.
NMW Handicap - 1615m.
Time: 1-36.80. Last 600m: 35.52. (Carrying 54kg).
1 Danagaze; 2 Newsnight; 3 Pee Eye Cee.
Margins: 3.00; Half-neck.

At Doomben on Saturday the shortest priced winner on the card won by the widest margin on the day.

That honour belonged to the Lawrie Mayfield-Smith trained gelding Danagaze who trounced his opposition in no uncertain terms when accelerating away to a three length victory at the restrictive odds of $1.80.

This was Danagaze’s fourth win in five starts this prep and only traffic problems in his last start preventing him from completing a perfect record.

Not bad for a horse whose name was once in the rejection file!

Immaturity has been Dangaze’s problem and jockey Larry Cassidy still feels that the chestnut has plenty to learn.

The bottom line is that Danagaze has exposed his true potential since returning to action after a five month break (from the end February until the start of September) by putting in a series of authoritative performances in which he has improved with every start.

Cassidy, for one, thinks Danagaze ‘has got it all before him.’

The son of Intergaze is still hugely inexperienced having only had seven starts, which have produced four wins and one runner-up finish.

Chances are there is more to come.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith: “On that showing he looks like he will probably run 2000, because he was a bit flat-footed at the top of the straight.

“I got a bit worried, but once he sort of got balanced up and started rolling he put paid to them pretty easily.

“He’ll keep going now. I have a talk to the owners. I’ll have to have a look at what’s here. I have had a sneak look at Sydney.

“I will be sending Tunahog down there, so I’m wondering if he can go down as a companion. We have often discussed the possibility.

"There’s a couple of nice 2000m races down there. As I say, he is probably looking for that sort of distance now.

“He was a terrible horse early on. I sacked him.

“I had him out. One of the guys said, you can’t get rid of him … he’s got to have a start because my brother’s just bought into him.

“I said, well I don’t want him and I don’t think it would be wise to start him. We bought both him and his full brother Intertheblack in a package for $25 000 and I thought they could get a slice of the money back … but he insisted that the horse start, so he went around..

“He’s just improved since. He’s won three-in-a-row coming into his last start … and he was very unlucky there. He was held up in the straight (when finishing second, just a short-neck behind Eastline).

“For a split second there at the top of the straight today I thought it was going to be shades of the last start but, like I said, once he got out … he was a bit flat-footed … but once he got rolling he was right.

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “Things went well … much more perfect than last start anyway.

“He is a very promising horse. I think he has got it all before him.

“At the moment he is a five-year-old, but he is very immature in the head. He is like a three-year-old. He gets ratted out in the enclosure. He sweats up.

“It doesn’t matter how old he is, he has got a young mind, so I think he can only get better … although they did say, if he takes anymore time he’d be old enough to vote.

“Even today he did a few things wrong. He wanted to over-race, but when I just steadied back from that things heels on the turn and came to the outside and balanced up, I knew he’s let down and beat them.

“Let’s hope his followers got back what they lost last time.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Danagaze):1.80 steady.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards accepted trainer B. Smith's explanation for the late declaration of J. Taylor as the rider of Upyonder.

Trainer B. Smith advised that if circumstances permit Upyonder will be ridden in a forward position. A public announcement was made to this effect. Upyonder was ridden accordingly.

As apprentice C. McIver failed to arrive to fulfil his engagement, apprentice R. Hinricks was substituted as the rider of Aurtobe. C. McIver was fined $400 under AR. 85B.

Topping (C. Munce) was hampered shortly after the start when tightened for room between The Clandy Man Can (S. Bogenhuber) and Danagaze (L. Cassidy), which shifted out.

Harney (Michael Palmer) over-raced in the early stages and raced three wide until being ridden forward to the lead approaching the 900m.

The Clandy Man Can raced wide in the early stages before being ridden forward to the position outside the leader approaching the 900m.

Upyonder (J. Taylor) over-raced throughout.

Khataaf (M. Cahill) raced wide throughout.

For some distance after passing the 600m River Perfume (P. Hammersley), when attempting to shift out to improve around the heels of Newsnight (J. Bowditch), bumped Dimension (A. Spinks) on a number of occasions.

Near the 300m Khataaf shifted out away from Newsnight, resulting in River Perfume becoming unbalanced when taken out on to Dimension.

In the early part of the home straight until approaching the 200m Pea Eye Cee (O. Turpin) was held up when unable to obtain clear running.

Approaching the 200m Topping shifted out and brushed Professor (S. Seamer).

Khataaf lost its near-hind plate in running.

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