EF APR 02 - CALLAN PARK ARRIVES WITH A FLOURISH

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 3, 2011

Eagle Farm, April 2, 2011.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - out 3m (1000m to 400m). True for remainder.
QTIS Two-year-old Handicap - 1400m.
1 Callan Park; 2 Black Cash; 3 Takotna/Viking Heart.
Time: 1-25.93. (Carrying 52.5kg). Last 600m: 37.34.
Margins: Half-head; Dead-heat.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Steven O’dea: “Yeah, she hit the line really good today.

“Last run at Coloundra (when unplaced behind Sweet Reward over 1200m) it was a wet track. She sort of got back and probably wasn’t completely comfortable in the really heavy ground.

“On a slightly better track today … I thought she would improve.

“She has shown us something. She wasn’t an absolute natural as a two-year-old. It took a bit to switch her on, but she’s showing she is pretty tough. That was her fourth run this prep.

“The name Callan Park … yeah, it’s the name of a mental institution in Sydney. The owner thinks you have to be mad to own a racehorse.”

Jockey Mitchell Speers: “I was up there early but then they slowed up and I few got going around us and we went back. We would have been in the back half, maybe the last four or five.

“Once we got to the outside and had a bit of room it took a while for her to pick up, but she hit the line good.

“At one stage I didn’t think I could catch the leader. I thought she might run on into about fourth or fifth and be a bit unlucky after being shuffled back, but she did better than that.

“She finished off really well and that was a good win for her.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d won. They were far apart but I thought I might have just got there.

“It was a good pick-up ride.” (Justin Wood could not make the weight)

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Callan Park): 26.00 steady.
Favourite (Black Cash): 3.30 in to 3.20 out to 3.50. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
As apprentice J. Wood was unable to claim his full allowance, apprentice M. Speers was substituted as the rider of Callan Park.

Viking Heart (L. Cassidy) and True Blitz (D. Browne) were slow to begin.

Into The Deep (L. Rolls) and Takotna (K. Wharton) made contact at the start.

Run Away Ruby (R. McMahon) was tightened for room at the start between Black Banner (J. Holder) and Margins (S. Galloway), both of which shifted ground. A short distance later, Run Away Ruby (R. McMahon) was bumped by Back Banner, which resulted in Run Away Ruby shifting out, striking the heels of Margins (S. Galloway) and blundering badly.

Viking Heart raced very fiercely in the early stages and was unable to be restrained by its rider. For this reason, it was taken wider on the track passing the 1000m and was ridden forward to cross to a position outside the leader approaching the 600m.

Trainer K. Schweida was advised that a warning would be placed on the horse regarding its racing manners. Mr Schweida stated he would consider sending Viking Heart for a brief spell and may experiment with gear changes prior to its next race start.

Approaching the 1000m, Callan Park (M. Speers) shifted in and brushed the running rail.

Margins, Takotna (K. Wharton) and Black Banner all over-raced due to the slow tempo in the early stages.

Black Cash raced wide to a point near the 500m.

Rounding the home turn, Into The Deep (L. Rolls) was hampered by Callan Park (M. Speers) when that runner shifted out to obtain clear running.

Near the 150m, Takotna shifted out around the heels of Bevico Girl (B. El-Issa) in order to improve, which resulted in Margins (S. Galloway) being tightened for room between Takotna and Callan Park. K. Wharton, rider of Takotna, was issued with a reprimand.

Bevico Girl (B. El-Issa) raced wide throughout.

When questioned regarding the performance of True Blitz, rider D. Browne explained that the gelding was slow to begin and then could not muster speed in the early stages despite being ridden aggressively.

D. Browne added that True Blitz began to travel comfortably to the inside of Black Banner passing the 900m when the tempo of the race slowed, but following the tempo increasing from the 700m, True Blitz again had to be ridden with vigour in order to improve.

He further stated that when placed under pressure after entering the straight, the gelding began to respond to his riding but he was unable to shift wider on the track due to a number of runners to his outside.

He further stated that after passing the 100m, he attempted to obtain a run between Takotna and Bevico Girl but shortly after, Bevico Girl shifted out slightly under pressure and as a result he was held up over the concluding stages.

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