GCST JAN 03 - CAPTAIN SONADOR CRUISES IN
By Graham Potter | Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Gold Coast, January 3, 2011.
Goldmarket Handicap (Quality - Listed) - 1300m.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - Out 2m 1000m to 400m. Penetrometer: 5.7.
1 Captain Sonador; 2 Steel Lips; 3 Phelan Ready.
Time: 1-16.37. Last 600m: 34.98. (Carrying 59kg).
Margins: 1.00; 0.75.
Trainer Roger Milne had a quiet chuckle about the ease with which Captain Sonador dispatched his rivals in the Listed Goldmarket Handicap at the Gold Coast yesterday.
Milne, who doubled his role as a strapper on the day, was clearly highly satisfied with the performance of the four-year-old as the son of Shamardal successfully completed the first half of his two race summer mission.
It is now on to to the $400,000 Magic Millions Cup which will be contested over 1400m at the Gold Coast on January 15.
Jockey Glen Boss, who made the trip up to the Gold Coast for one ride, was all business. There was no trademark salute passing the post, no victory jig coming back to scale … but Boss’s textbook ride, which once again underlined his big race quality, was all that really mattered and he had carried that off to perfection.
As per Milne and Boss’s pre-race plan, Captain Sonador tracked Zero Rock across as the latter chased up from her wide draw to assume the early lead.
Zero Rock was bidding to extend her winning sequence to four-in-a-row and she was the flavour of the race on the betting boards having shortened from $4.40 in to a clear-cut favourite at $3.20. (Captain Sonador was second favourite but was listed all the way out at $8.00).
The early aggression that Boss showed allowed Captain Sonador to settle right on the speed … firstly in second place (behind Zero Rock) and then in third place (when the outsider Steel Lips pressed on, after being held wide, to join issue with Zero Rock at the head of affairs.
Not only did the tactics work out well for Captain Sonador in terms of where the horse was positioned in the first half of the race, it also meant that Captain Sonador was able to escape the interference that cost several runners dearly as some serious scrimmaging occurred behind him going into the first turn.
Steel Lips headed Zero Rock in the approach to the home turn and then made that move stick by kicking away to open up a two length advantage as the field straightened for home.
Boss always had the leader in his sights though and when he gave his mount more rein, Captain Sonador quickly began to reel in Steel Lips. Zero Rock also lifted again briefly as Captain Sonador raced past him and it was still a three-way go with 200m left to run.
The favourite was the first to put up the white flag but the $21.00 chance Steel Lips remained full of fight. In the end though, even the 6kg pull in favour of Steel Lips was not enough to bridge the gap in class and Captain Sonador duly edged ahead with 120m left to run.
From that moment the result was never in doubt and the win was achieved in arguably an easier fashion than the official one length margin suggests, although Boss did describe the win as ‘more tradesman-like than dominant.’
Steel Lips’ second placing was full of merit. He did a lot of work early. He didn’t shy away from the fight in the straight and he stayed on in determined fashion.
Phelan Ready was honest enough in running on into third place while Fifteen Carat made up many lengths to claim fourth spot after being slow away and then covering plenty of ground when being the widest runner in the straight.
Phelan Ready is giving notice of intent, but the feeling persists that he will have to find another gear if he is to find another win. Fifteen Carat, for his part, is obviously a very talented individual but his pattern of racing, coming from off the pace and switching wide for an uninterrupted run, is invariably going to put him at risk when tackling quality opposition in the better races.
WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Roger Milne: “There is no substitute for class. That’s what it is.
“Glen (Boss) and I spoke about tactics beforehand. We didn’t think there was a great lot of pace. In his trial he led them easy. I said, he can get up there … follow Zero Rock across and just see where you end up.
“We ended up in front at the finish and that was the main thing.”
Jockey Glen Boss: “He was the best horse in the race and I rode him accordingly.
“I was a bit more aggressive with him because I didn't think there was much speed.
“It wasn't dominant, it was tradesman-like.
"I think if he's ridden a bit more quietly, he's more explosive. He had 60 kilos and he was first-up over 1300m, so he's got more improvement."
PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Captain Sonador): 6.50 out to 9.00 in to 8.00.
Favourite (Zero Rock): 4.00 out to 4.40 in to 3.20. Finished fifth.
STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Madibagold which was fractious in the barriers was subsequently declared a late withdrawal at 4.11 p.m. by order of stewards acting on veterinary advice.
Age Of Heroes (S. Galloway) was tightened on jumping away between Phelan Ready (M. Cahill) and Deer Valley (B. El-Issa), both of which shifted ground.
Fifteen Carat (J. Taylor) was slow to begin.
Passing the 1200m Line By Line (J.P. Stanley) had to be steadied when tightened for room by Captain Sonador (G. Boss), which shifted in when not quite clear. G. Boss was severely reprimanded.
Near the 1000m Falco Star (App C. McIver) shifted in taking Funtantes (J. Byrne) in onto Deer Valley (B. El-Issa), which tightened the running of Ghetto Blaster (D. Browne). Deer Valley then laid in and away from Funtantes further tightening the running of Ghetto Blaster, which had to be checked.
Ghetto Blaster then shifted out taking Deer Valley onto Funtantes, which had to be checked when tightened onto Falco Star. In the circumstances stewards took no direct action other than to admonish App C. McIver for initially dictating the racing line of Funtantes.
Near the 900m Sommersea Drive (App O. Turpin), after being momentarily tightened by Captain Sonador, got its head up and shifted in tightening the running of Phelan Ready (M. Cahill).
Near the 600m Heart Of The Citi (S. Seamer) improved up onto the heels of Falco Star and was obliged to shift ground outwards. This resulted in Lucky Luna (J. Holder) being taken wider on the track.
Lucky Lunar raced wide for the majority.
A post race veterinary examination of Zero Rock revealed no significant abnormalities.
Deer Valley lost a near-fore plate in running.
Stewards sought an explanation from K. Forrester the rider of Steel Lips and trainer of that horse S. Ryan in respect to the tactics adopted in the early stages which resulted in the horse occupying the position outside the leader Zero Rock.
K. Forrester stated he had been instructed to ride Steel Lips midfield with cover if possible from its wide barrier however, when he was racing extremely wide on the track approaching the first turn and Steel Lips was travelling strongly he chose to ride forward in an endeavour to obtain a position closer to the fence.
K. Forrester added that when he noted that Zero Rock had assumed the lead he envisaged the pace of the race slowing considerably.
S. Ryan confirm the instructions and whilst he felt K. Forrester had made the correct decision today he advised stewards that he believed Steel Lips is best when ridden midfield with cover. Their explanations were noted.
Stewards will question C. Munce the rider of Zero Rock regarding his riding of the horse over the latter stages of the event.
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