EF FEB 02 - END TO END WIN FOR BELLASPIRIT

By Graham Potter | Thursday, February 3, 2011

Eagle Farm, February 2, 2011.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 8m.
Maiden Plate (Fillies & Mares - Set Weights) - 1300m.
1 Bellaspirit; 2 Shezamyth; 3 Stalwart Woman.
Time: 1-17.71 (Carrying 55kg). Last 600m: 36.07.
Margins: 2.25; Head.

Bellaspirit gave the Steven O’dea / Ryan Wiggins combination an early double on the day.

The three-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit was having only her fifth career start and was certainly due to shed her Maiden ticket after previously having finished in second place in all three starts this prep.

Bellaspirit chased to the lead soon after the start while her better fancied market rival Shezamyth went back to the rear early on. These two opposite movements of these two runners in the first 150m effectively, irretrievably shaped the outcome of the race.

Bellaspirit was always comfortably up front while Shezamyth was always going to be hard-pressed chasing to make up that much leeway in the straight. It was too tough an ask for Shezamyth and Bellaspirit still had a clear-cut 2.25 lengths to spare at the line.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Steven O’dea: “She had winkers on for the first time today. A couple of runs she sort of loomed up and hasn’t gone on with it.

‘I think the way the track’s playing today it's a bit condusive to leaders. The way the race panned out she had to go forward, so that obviously suited her, you know.

“The plan wasn’t necessarily to lead. The plan was only to possie up there handy, but she was sort of going to be three wide for a second so he (Ryan Wiggins) just elected to go on.

“She’s always shown nice ability. She’s had a few mental issues this filly. She is very highly strung. I actually trained her mother. She was a little bit the same.

“Hopefully with just a bit of experience and a bit more time she’ll realize the sort of potential she has shown on the track.”

Jockey Ryan Wiggins: “I wasn’t going to ride her that far forward, but we ended up just lobbing there.

“I thought I’d just go forward. I was always comfortable. She led and won nice.”

Jockey Shane Scriven, rider of the beaten favourite Shezamyth, got a ‘please explain’ call from the Stewards. Shezamyth jumped from the widest draw in the twelve horse field and went back to last in the early part, handing his market rival, the race leader and eventual winner Bellaspirit a huge advantage which the O’dea runner was only too happy to drive home.

Jockey Shane Scriven: “If she draws an alley she wins, you know. The idea was … it was no use sitting out on a limb, you know. I went back and let her find her feet, but she ended up giving them too much start.

“It was a huge run. Everybody will be upset. She was the favourite to win, you know, but alleys will do everything to you.

“She will make amends. She shouldn’t have lost any followers with that run. She hasn’t lost me.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Bellaspirit): 2.60 out to 2.80.
Favourite (Shezamyth): 1.50 in to 1.40. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mr C. Maund, representing trainer K. Maund, was advised that a fine of $200 would be imposed for presenting Lorrie's Favourite not shod in accordance with the rules. Due to being fractious and unable to be replated, stewards permitted Lorrie's Favourite to race bare foot behind.

Lorrie's Favourite (S. Bogenhuber) was slow to begin.

Glory Card (M. Wood) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground.

Shezamyth (S. Scriven) also began awkwardly.

Avoca Belle (D. Griffin) raced wide in the early stages to a point near the 600m.

Approaching the 1000m, Avoca Belle, which was over-racing, had to be checked to avoid the heels of Silabella (B. Evans), which was being restrained to find a position closer to the fence.

A short distance later, Waverley Miss (L. Herne) shifted in and away from Stalwart Woman (J. Kropp) despite the efforts of its rider, resulting in Lorrie's Favourite being tightened for room and having to be checked. Lorrie's Favourite then shifted out, taking Glory Card across the heels of Infamous Dancer (A. Butler).

As a result, Glory Card shifted out and bumped Shezamyth. B. Evans, rider of Silabella, was reprimanded for restraining his mount when shifting in, which resulted D. Griffin, rider of Avoca Belle, having to excessively restrain his mount.

Near the 200m, Infamous Dancer altered course to the inside of Arridan (M. Palmer) in order to improve and in doing so shifted in abruptly and became unbalanced and lost ground.

Trainer R. Heathcote was advised that stewards would monitor the racing manners of Infamous Dancer in its future starts.

Shezamyth was inclined to lay in under pressure over the final 300m.

Stewards sought an explanation from S. Scriven regarding the performance of Shezamyth.

S. Scriven explained that from the wide barrier he elected to restrain the filly and settle towards the rear of the field and obtain a position closer to the fence. He added that due to the tempo in the middle stages, he raced further back in the field than he would have liked and when he shifted Shezamyth wider in the straight, the filly ran on strongly, and under the circumstances he was not disappointed with the performance today.

Apprentice M. Palmer was reprimanded for failing to weigh in 5th on Abbidan.

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