EF NOV 27 - PEPPERWOOD SPRINGS A SURPRISE

By Graham Potter | Monday, November 29, 2010

Eagle Farm, November 27, 2010.
Track - Good. Rail - out 2.5m. Penetrometer - 5.
Recognition Stakes Handicap (Quality - Listed) - 1600m.
Time: 1-34.24. Last 600m: 36.50. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Pepperwood; 2 Listen Son; 3 Pyramids.
Margins: 3.00. 0.75.

The longest priced winner at Eagle Farm on Saturday was also the horse who won by the widest margin on the day.

The horse’s name was Pepperwood. He started at $41.00 and won in a ‘no contest’ by three lengths.

Trainer Liam Birchley admitted afterwards that he thought Pepperwood could ‘give them a scare’ as the six-year-old built towards peak fitness in his third start of this, his first preparation as a gelding … but he never anticipated the decisiveness of the effort that Pepperwood would produce as the horse moved to the head of affairs in the home straight with a fluency which underlined the outright authority the son of Easy Rocking stamped on proceedings.

The long price of Pepperwood was probably exaggerated due to the strong price of the $1.50 favourite Listen Son who, while facing his biggest task yet, still had a stranglehold on the betting market following the two impressive wins that kicked off his latest campaign.

Listen Son was in fact looking for a fourth successive win here as he had also won the final start of his previous preparation, but an on-song Pepperwood was simply too strong for the favourite on the day leaving the main fancy having to settle for second place in a run that was still full of merit.

Pepperwood promised a great deal earlier in his career. As a two-year-old he ran second in the Listed Australia Post Stakes. At three, he ran third in the Vo Rogue behind Dirty and Swiss Ace before finishing unplaced but just 3.50 lengths behind Heart Of The Citi in the 3yo Magic Millions Trophy.

Pepperwood then went on to become a Group 3 winner when taking out the Doomben Classic and he rounded off his three-year-old campaign with a fine third placing in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas behind Turffontein and Royal Discretion.

Further notable success awaited Pepperwood as a four-year-old where, in successive starts, he won the Bernborough and the Magic Millions Stayers Cup.

As a five-year-old Pepperwood won one in five starts, but also had a third placing in the Recognition Stakes to his credit - the race which he came back to win on Saturday!

It was in the second half of his five-year-old season that Pepperwood’s form began to level off. For the first time, in any of his five preparations up until that time, Pepperwood ended a preparation without a win during the current campaign.

The decision was taken to geld Pepperwood at this time and he resumed after a three-and-a-half month spell at Doomben on October 30.

Pepperwood showed little in his first two starts this prep meaning he was flying largely under the radar when he zeroed in and blew the opposition away in no uncertain terms to secure another feature race success on Saturday.

A trivia question. When last was jockey Glen Colless on a 40-1 winner?

It’s got to be a long time ago!

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “I knew we’d give them a big fright today, but I didn’t think we would do that.

“There are some pretty handy horses in there. There were a few going to the mile for the first time. There were a few who might have had enough, you know, which may have padded it a bit.

“I didn’t plan to be that aggressive with him, but he didn’t give him (jockey Glen Colless) much choice. He was just trotting.

“We gelded him after his last prep. Usually his best runs are his fourth of fifth run in but, because he has been gelded, he has come to hand a lot quicker.”

Jockey Glen Colless: “I had a lovely run in the race.

“He sort of began better than I thought he would and I possied up a little bit closer … but I knew the tempo was good.

“Liam (Birchley) said to me before the race … he said, I’d rather you be one off the fence, but, once I lobbed on the fence … I travelled … and the tempo was very warm up front.

“Even getting through the half-mile I thought, gee he is going to drag me into it this horse.

“I was just behind them. I was probably six to seven off them, but I was getting a nice run on the fence.

“Once Rightson got off the fence, I went up inside him.

“By the time we straightened up and we got up on the inside of Rightson and then dropped on Listen Son … I was sort of just looking for the way out.

“I just edged out. I just cruised to Listen Son. I probably got there (into the lead) a little bit quick on him. He hadn’t been there for a while, but he knuckled down and, when I really let him go, he hit the line good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pepperwood): 31.00 out to 51.00 in to 41.00.
Favourite (Listen Son): 1.50 steady. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed when Pyramids became fractious in the barriers. Pyramids was removed from the barriers, examined by the veterinary surgeon and cleared to race.

Near the 1000m, Helideck (C. Munce) raced up to the outside of Listen Son (L. Cassidy), resulting in Listen Son commencing to over-race for some distance in the middle stages.

Passing the 350m, Pepperwood (G. Colless) shifted out to improve, taking Rightson (B. Stewart) out on to Helideck, which was momentarily inconvenienced when it was weakening.

Stewards sought an explanation from trainer L. Birchley in respect of the improved performance of Pepperwood today.

L. Birchley stated that the horse had been gelded prior to embarking on this preparation and, in his opinion, this resulted in the horse reaching race fitness earlier than it has in past preparations.

He added that Pepperwood was better suited by the pattern of today's race where there was no pace in the early part of the race.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey B. Stewart and trainer B Baldwin regarding the disappointing performance of Rightson.

B. Stewart stated that whilst he was instructed to lead if possible, he felt that the speed in the early stages was too strong and decided to position the horse just behind the leaders.

B. Stewart added that Rightson had been able to lead unchallenged at its most recent starts and this was in stark contrast to the way today's race was run.

Trainer B. Baldwin stated that the horse was getting up in the weights and was of the opinion that the horse races best when leading or when positioned to the outside of other runners.

B. Baldwin added that Rightson had been in training for a significant period of time and may be feeling the effects of a long preparation.

M. Cahill, rider of the 3rd placegetter, Pyramids, was fined $200 for returning to scale overweight.