EF APR 02 - SIRENA LIGERA BOUNCES BACK

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 3, 2011

Eagle Farm, April 2, 2011.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - out 3m (1000m to 400m). True for remainder.
Class 6 Handicap (F & M) - 1400m.
1 Sirena Ligera; 2 Flinders City; 3 Winmara.
Time: 1-24.40. (Carrying 52kg). Last 600m: 35.88.
Margins: Long-neck. Head.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “We started first-up in Sydney this prep. I just couldn’t find the right race for her up here.

“With her sale coming up I wanted to give her two runs because she does go well fresh … just to give the connections a chance to get something back.

“We didn’t have much choice but to run her on the soft going today, which is not her favourite surface.

“She is in a sale next week so, whereas we knew she did have a bit of an aversion to a soft track … in the first race they (Azzaland) ran quite good time and it looked quite good up the straight … we thought if we could hold her together until we got around the bend things would be alright.

“I’m sure the sale will go ahead in spite of the win. Sometimes that the best time to sell them, you know. Potential buyers can see her upside and see that she is going well.”

Jockey Mitchell Speers: “Liam (Birchley) just said to roll forward without spearing across (from a wide draw). She was going to get there pretty easy.

“Once she got there she had a couple of easy sectionals. Then about the 600 I just sort of let her stride … and she kept going.

“Yeah, it’s good to be riding winners. I broke my jaw and was out for about five weeks and then I came back and was riding for about three weeks when I broke my wrist which put me out again.

So it’s good to have a winner.”

The day would get better for Speers who went on to complete his first, Saturday, city treble.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sirena Ligera): 9.00 out to 12.00.
Favourite (Figasaurus): 3.40 in to 2.70. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards questioned jockey Matthew Palmer regarding the performance of Lucky Songs.

He explained that he was forced to race three wide on the mare without cover throughout and when placed under pressure entering the home straight, Lucky Songs did not respond to his riding and, in his view, was not completely comfortable on today's rain affected track.

Stable representative Mr S. Morrisey agreed with M. Palmer's comments that Lucky Songs did not appear completely comfortable on the rain affected track and undertook to report to stewards should any abnormality come to light that may have had a bearing on the performance.

A post race veterinary examination of Lucky Songs failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

A post race veterinary examination of Etching revealed the mare was lame in the off-fore leg.

Trainer P. Sexton was advised that he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for the mare prior to its next race start.

Figasaurus lost its off-hind plate in running.

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