GCST JAN 15 - KARUTA QUEEN STRIKES PAYDIRT
By Graham Potter | Monday, January 17, 2011
Gold Coast, January 15, 2011.
$2 Million BMW Magic Millions 2YO Classic - 1200m.
1 Karuta Queen; 2 Combat Kitty; 3 Schiffer.
Track: Slow 6. Rail - out 1.5m (100m to 400m). Out 0.5m remainder.
Time: 1-08.46 (carrying 54kg). Last 600m: 36.03.
Margins: 2.75; Short-head.
Queanbeyan based trainer Neville Layt, jockey Tommy Berry, owners Glenn Williams and his wife … and a little filly named Karuta Queen struck pay-dirt at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Unbeaten in three starts going into the race, the smart, chestnut filly was never in danger of defeat as she dictated the course of events early before dominating proceedings in the chase to the line leaving an ever-game Combat Kitty, who was best of the rest, nearly three lengths adrift as she powered her way to the line.
Such was the level of her authority, Karuta Queen had the race well and truly in her keeping long before she crossed the finish line and that meant that her connections were able to enjoy what was in essence became victory procession over the final 200m.
The result could not have been achieved in a more emphatic fashion. It gave Layt the biggest thrill of his career and put Tommy Berry’s name in the record books as only the second apprentice to win the Magic Millions 2yo Classic after Michael Rodd, who won the race on Regimental Gal in 2003.
WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Neville Layt: He (Tommy Berry) got her to the front and that is exactly where I wanted to be.
“From there he controlled the race and when he asked her to put the foot to the peddle she didn’t let him down.
“I was always confident she would find the gears in the straight and she found them alright.
“We knew she’d run the 1200m. She just doesn’t know when to stop. I was so excited I almost jumped over the rail (of the grandstand).
"There was a lot of money riding on it. I played my part and she's played her part. Tommy rode her brilliant.
“He is a very sensible boy. You can ask him to do things and he listens well. Like I just said to him, look … if she pings the gates and you are in front … I said, just as you start to get into the dog-leg of the turn there is a piece of white-orange tape there, when you hit that, you go for it.
“Watch the replay and you’ll see him push the button right at that point.
"The track is meant to be slow and she’s still run time. What would she run if it was fast?"
“She could be a Mercedes instead of a Ferrari … I mean the other way around.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will tonight. I just love that filly.
“People were querying the fact that she hadn’t run for six weeks in the lead-up to the race. That filly … she doesn’t need a lot of hard yakka. She goes quite well fresh.
“I gave her a trial three weeks ago. The purpose of the trial was to see how she pinged the gates because she has been a little bit tardy away. She came out and as soon as she hit the ground with them I said, for me, she’ll be hard to beat.
“Winning was obviously the biggest thrill of my life. My biggest thrill before that was being confident all week.
“Yeah, she only cost $30 000.
“I had nothing to do with the purchase. The owners bought her. They rang me up and they said, we bought a little Not A Single Doubt filly out of Card Queen and we’d like you to train her.
“I’ve trained for the owners before. I’ve got plenty of their horses. She arrived down at Heritage along with the other fifteen they bought.
“My first thought when I saw her was that she was pretty ordinary.
“The owners offered me shares in the horse. I’ve already got half a dozen others with them, so I said no.
“After her first gallop … I wanted to get on then, but they wouldn’t let me on.
“It was a shock when she showed what she could do for the first time. She was just one of those fillies from day one … I only let her sprint up 200m, but she did it in about ten-and-a-half seconds.
“We got 30-1 in her first start (which she won at Rosehill by 3.75 lengths).
“How did we keep it quiet? When you train in the country no-one wants to know you.
“She’ll go straight to the paddock now. She’ll have a month off now and then we’ll get her ready for either the Black Opal or the Sweet Embrace. Then we’ll go on to the Slipper from there.
“I won’t say that she’ll only have one prep run before the Golden Slipper. I won’t say that this time around … perhaps we’ll have to go two (runs). I’ll just monitor her and let her tell me where she is at.”
Jockey Tommy Berry: “Neville (Layt) said, go out there and do what you want. You know how to ride her.
“He doesn’t give you concrete instructions. He lets you do your own thing and I know the horse better than anybody and we’re getting on pretty good.
“Once I got on her she felt great. I just wanted to jump out of them gates and see what she’s got.
“She was a little bit fired up behind the gates. I gave her a dig. I was hoping I didn’t have to do that but, because she can dwell at the start, I had to give her a dig.
“Once she got to the front and settled … once she relaxed I knew she would get the 1200.
“She dropped the bit really well once she got there and felt like she was cantering in the run. When I pushed the button she exploded. I never had to go through the gears at all. There was still plenty left at the end.
“I couldn’t hear anything coming up beside me … even coming around the corner. I was just in my own zone. I knew how quick I was going and I knew what I had underneath me, so I was acting like I was the only horse in the race and I didn’t worry about anybody else.
“The way she won did surprise me. I knew she would run 1200m, but not as strong as she did. Neville and I both thought she could win, but not as well as she did either … so it’s like she’ll run even further.
“I go back a way with Neville and the owners. They put me on One More Grand at Rosehill and I won on him. Then I rode him through his preparation and won the Rosebud.
“Then this horse came along and they asked me if I would ride again and a year later we won, I think, the exact same races we won with One More Grand last year … and it’s gone on from there.
“She won quite impressive first-up, although she was still very green. Second run … she was a little bit on the flat side I think, so Neville gave her a little break and then just gave her a trial before the Wyong Magic Millions which did her an absolute treat.
“So we did that again going into the Gold Coast. It’s worked great.
“I think that is what she is like. You’d rather give her a trail in-between runs than give her another race.
“It’s been an unbelievable ride for me, Neville and the owners. She’s just taken us so far. It’s really been good to be on her back and we’ll see if the ride can keep going now.”
PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Karuta Queen): 3.00 out to 3.50.
The winner was the favourite.
STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fast And Sexy (G. Schofield) and Playtime (M. Cahill) were both slow to begin.
Approaching the 1000m Double Impact (S. Scriven) had to be eased when tightened momentarily by Combat Kitty (C. Brown).
Near the 900m Five O'clock (G. Colless) shifted in and made heavy contact with the running rail.
Zed Man (S. Seamer) over-raced in the early stages and near the 800m had to be restrained from the heels of Combat Kitty.
Merryanna (B. El-Issa), Playtime, Military Grace (D. Griffin), Combat Kitty and Double Impact (S. Scriven) all raced wide throughout the event.
App T. Berry was fined the sum of $500.00 under AR137(c) for making a celebratory gesture on Karuta Queen prior to the winning post.
D. Griffin the rider of Military Grace, which performed below expectations, explained that the filly travelled well in a three wide position trailing Merryanna however, when placed under pressure entering the home straight failed to respond to his riding and was disappointing.
A post race veterinary examination of Military Grace revealed no significant findings. Trainer G. Heinrich advised that the filly will now be sent for a spell.
When asked to explain the performance of Internal Revenue jockey M. Rodd could offer no tangible explanation and stated that the colt was under heavy pressure rounding the home turn and weakened from that point.
A post race veterinary examination of Internal Revenue revealed a small laceration to the near-fore cannon. Trainer G. Heinrich advised that the colt will now be sent for a spell.
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