DOOM MAY 28 - BEADED FIGHTS ON TO 10,000 VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 30, 2011

Doomben, May 28, 2011.
Doomben 10,000 (Group 1) - 1350m.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 5m.
1 Beaded; 2 Love Conquers All; 3 Black Piranha; 4 Border Rebel.
Time: 1-19.67 (Race record 1-17.21 - Falvelon (2001).
Last 600m: 33.96. Margins: Short-head; 0.75.

The Peter Snowden trained Beaded claimed her first Group 1 success when she prevailed by a short-head margin in a thrilling stride for stride battle with Love Conquers All to take out the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.

While there was no Black Caviar or Hay List to ramp up the big crowd with their individual brilliance, the runaway margins that were expected if either of those stars had participated was replaced by a hard fought, intense, head-bobbing struggle which underlined the raw excitement of close racing and just how fine a line there is between success and second best.

The connections of Love Conquers All can tell you all about that. The Doomben 10,000 produced the four-year-olds third successive Group 1 runner-up finish after running second to Rangirangdoo in the George Ryder and second to Sacred Choice in the Doncaster.

He was so close to setting the record straight on Saturday but, in Beaded, he was up against an equally hungry opponent who matched his determination and was prepared to give her all for the cause.

Beaded in fact looked to have the race safely within her keeping when Corey Brown initially urged her past Love Conquers All, but Chris Munce got his mount to come again and that’s when the resolve of the two runners kicked in to create a memorable contest.

There were three moments in the race in which Beaded’s response to her particular circumstances was critical to the result.

The first was soon after the start when Buffering came across from the outside and tried to push Beaded in onto the rail. That intimidation failed to rattle either horse or rider and Beaded settled into a comfortable rhythm in the back straight, racing in third spot.

Border Rebel had gone out to set the early tempo. The Sue Grills trained five-year-old led by a length from Love Conquers All. Beaded sat a further length back on the inside of Buffering. Black Piranha and All Silent raced alongside each other just in behind that and Sniper’s Bullet brought up the rear some five to six lengths off the leader.

The second critical moment came and went in the blink of the eye as the field cornered for home.

Chris Munce was quick to rev up Love Conquers All and the Hawkes stable runner immediately slipped up to challenge Border Rebel for the lead. In behind that there was a fleeting moment when Buffering appeared to have the opportunity to keep Beaded in a pocket on the leaders heels, but that possibility evaporated in a second as Beaded pushed out and surged forward with focused commitment leaving Buffering challenge wavering in the breeze.

With a clear run and his mount full of running Brown pushed the button coming through the 200m and Beaded swept past Love Conquers All, who had taken over from Border Rebel in the first half of the straight, seemingly set for a comfortable victory.

But Beaded was to face one last and most crucial test.

Love Conquers All simple refused to cry enough. The year-younger horse came again and took the fight to the mare with meaning. Beaded’s ability had carried her into a winning position, but now her mental toughness as much as anything else was put under the scrutiny.

Even a brief moment of weakness now would have proved very costly. Any hesitation … any dent in the armour and it would have been Love Conquers All whose bravery would have been rewarded with a win.

Beaded was having none of that.

Strong and committed all the way to the line, she did enough to see off her rival by a short-head in a compelling finish.

Beaded’s race record now stands at a most satisfying ten wins from twenty starts (with nine minor placings). The win took her earnings to just over $1.2 million.

Most important of all though is the fact that she now has a Group 1 win on her resume.

Second placed Love Conquers All did everything but win and takes obvious credit from the race.

While most observers’ eyes were locked on the battle for first place, the effort of the third place finisher Black Piranha should not pass unnoticed.

The dual Stradbroke winner looked lean and mean in the pre-race parade and he put in a strong showing in the race itself.

Black Piranha raced alongside Beaded along the inside in the early part of the straight. He then had nowhere to go and was held up for a run just inside the 300m mark.

This meant that Hugh Bowman had to shift his mount out across the heels of Love Conquers All and Beaded to obtain clear running and it was only inside the last 180m that he was back in full stride again.

From there, although never close enough to have a major say on the day, Black Piranha was taking ground off the dueling duo in front of him in the closing stages. He ultimately finished less than a length off the result.

His records clearly shows that he thrives in Queensland. He will have been set for the Stradbroke. He looks well on track to once again be competitive in the big race.

Border Rebel was as game as ever but not quite good enough as the 3.20 length margin back to fourth place suggests.

Sniper’s Bullet and All Silent, who finished 4.50 and 4.70 lengths behind the winner respectively, have proud records but are racing in a manner which suggests there is more in their past than their future.

The form of Buffering, who finished tailed off, is another matter all together. While he cannot be written off on the basis of a run in which he clearly did not do his talent justice, the fact remains that this result raised several question marks about his chances going forward against strong opposition this campaign … and the weak points about his game that will have to be worked on. (See jockey Larry Cassidy’s report back to the stewards in Stewards Report Extract).

*Beaded has now been marked up as equal favourite for the Stradbroke. The mare is quoted at 5-1 along with Loves Conquers All and Sincero.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Snowden: “We weren’t really expected this to be the race it turned out to be.

“The trainers out there a while ago were all saying and thinking the same thing. With Black Caviar and Hay List coming here we were all thinking place money is about the best we are going to do.

“Then we heard that Black Caviar was coming out and then Hat List last night and we all went back down to the stalls and started to tighten the screws a bit more thinking we were all a chance.

“Full credit to this mare and what she has done. It's tremendous.

“She does race well fresh. Her first-up record is very good. She’s only had three runs in her last preparation and we were always going to come to Brisbane. The Winter Stakes was always our main goal here, but things have already just worked out tremendously well for us.
“I said to Corey when you count, count to fifty. Just save and delay, but I could see his eyes light up coming to the corner she was travelling so well.

“She probably just weakened the last 50m, but that will bring her on. The Stradbroke she will be just better again and then the Winter Stakes after that.”

Jockey Corey Brown: “That was Peter’s one instruction. He said, don’t be pushing the button too early because he said she was going to be vulnerable on the line.

“I pushed the button at about the 200 and I could feel his hands go around my throat at about the 50 when she started to weaken.

“Look, full credit to Peter and the stable. They know the horse back to front and she just knows when to stick her head out. It was a great win.

“She is one of the toughest racehorses I’ve ever ridden and she deserves that Group 1 under her belt.

“Look, I really didn’t want to follow Border Rebel in the early part. I wanted to hold the one, one position.

“Larry (Cassidy on Buffering) was determined to get me back in behind the leaders. He wrestled and pushed and shoved. I did understand what Larry wanted to do. He wanted to get cover. His horse is racing a little bit fierce, but I didn’t want to go back in behind the leader.

“I ended up given up that position because I knew once I got to the home turn and I leaned on Larry, I knew Larry’s horse was going to run away from mine.

“He had me where he wanted me, but full credit to my mare she was happy to bullock if I really wanted to go on with it. She would have held him back out there.

“She did have a really, really easy run in the race from there. Everything was good. The tempo was good. Then she got a superb run through at the top of the straight.

“I went past the leaders easily, but it didn’t surprise me when Love Conquers All started to fight back. He’s tough.

“Peter said she might be a bit vulnerable on the line. She was.

“It was actually quite worrying because he came at me the last 50 quite sharply. I thought he was actually going to get there and race away with it.

To Beaded’s credit, when she spotted Chrissie (Munce) coming on the inside you could just feel … the last three hops … you could just feel her trying to push her head out wanting to get there first.

“Right on the line I was quietly confident. No, I can’t tell you what Chris said. He questioned it when we crossed the line. I think he knew in his own mind, with the words that came out of his mouth, I think he’d knew he’d been beaten.

“Beaded definitely has a lot of improvement to come. She was blowing quite noticeably pulling up. She was entitled to do that going first-up, 1350. There’s lots of improvement there.

“I reckon she is a big chance in the Stradbroke with 51.5kg.

“Yeah, I was lucky to have the ride. Two and a half weeks ago I rang Kieran (McEvoy) and said, look I can go to Brisbane and ride for Peter if you are not going, otherwise I’ll stay in Sydney if you are going up to ride for Peter.

“He said he wouldn’t be fit enough. He said Group 1 level he would rather stay at home. That was when Black Caviar and Hay List were still in the race, so I was fairly lucky that it dropped away to the race it was yesterday.”

“Yeah, I have won the race before. I won on Apache Cat a couple of years ago.

“He was at the track. They were parading him around. He got my mare a little bit geed-up because he was carrying on. They had him out on the track parading and he got quite excited when the horses were going to the barriers and Beaded was taking quite a bit of notice of him when he was playing up. It was great to have him here.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Beaded): 2.90 in to 2.70 in to 2.10.
Favourite (Love Conquers All): 3.40 out to 3.60 in to 3.10. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Correct weight was delayed when C. Munce, the rider of 2nd placegetter Love Conquers All, was afforded the opportunity of viewing the patrol film over the concluding stages to determine whether he had grounds to lodge an objection against Beaded (C. Brown) being declared the winner.

After viewing the film, C. Munce indicated that he did not wish to lodge an objection.

A further delay to correct weight occurred when L. Cassidy, the rider of Buffering, viewed the stewards' footage of the start to determine whether he had grounds to make an application regarding his mount being afforded a fair start.

After viewing the footage, L. Cassidy was satisfied that Buffering had been afforded a fair start and correct weight was declared on the Judge's placings.

Sniper's Bullet (J. Winks) and Buffering (L. Cassidy) made contact at the start.

All Silent (B. Avdulla), after receiving contact from Sniper's Bullet, shifted out under pressure in the straight.

Stewards sought an explanation from L. Cassidy, the rider of Buffering, in regards to the gelding's seemingly disappointing performance.

Jockey Cassidy stated that his intention was to lead or sit outside the leader, however after beginning slowly he was forced to ride the horse in behind the leaders.

L. Cassidy added that Beaded held the position one off the fence and he had to dictate the line of that runner in order to obtain the one off position and in doing so made contact with Beaded. This resulted in Buffering commencing to over-race.

Jockey Cassidy further stated that whilst this may have had an effect on the horse's capacity to finish the race off he felt that if the horse is to be successful over distances of today's event and further it would have to take up a position in the lead.

Trainer R. Heathcote was of the view that after being slow to begin and after coming into contact with Beaded in the early stages, Buffering over-raced which is uncharacteristic and he was of the view that this was the reason for the gelding not finishing the race off.

He indicated that he would proceed towards the Stradbroke Handicap and will have his stable veterinary surgeon conduct a precaution examination of the horse.

A post-race veterinary examination of Buffering revealed no abnormality.

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