EF OCT 01 - CARN(AGE) AS PUNTERS ARE FLOORED

By Graham Potter | Monday, October 3, 2011

Eagle Farm, October 1, 2011.
Class 6 Handicap - 1800m.
1 Carn; 2 Red God; 3 Ausworld; 4 Random Orbit.
Track: Good 3. Rail: True.
Time: 1-49.48. Last 600: 38.18.

Oakey based trainer Doug Johnson couldn’t stop smiling … and why wouldn’t you be smiling if the horse you owned and trained had just scored at huge odds and you had a nibble at the price.

The five-year-old gelding Carn paid triple figure odds on the tote in the second race on the card at Eagle Farm on Saturday, dealing most punters an early afternoon setback when he chased home with meaning under a perfect ride from Jacque Brown to keep the race favourite Red God back in second place.

While Johnson had faith in his belief that Carn was capable of producing a better result than his recent form suggested he might deliver, few punters even gave the son of Carnegie a second glance in the preliminaries. It was only when he stormed home in convincing fashion, when most tickets became confetti, that the second glance into Carn’s form came into play.

There wasn’t really any new evidence to find. While Carn appeared to be honest enough in his endeavours … he seldom finishes that far off them … the fact that he had only been competing in Class 1 company on the provincial circuit without success in recent times hardly gave any hint of the improvement to come.

But improve he did. It was one for the underdog and Johnson relished every moment as any underdog upsetting the odds is entitled to do.

Saturday’s first prize of $28 800 was more than double the total amount the gelding had earned in fifteen previous starts.

Carn’s record now shows two wins from sixteen starts (with four minor placings) and stake earnings of $42 400.

The five-year-old is owned and trained by Doug Johnson and the horse was bred by Glen Avon Lodge.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Doug Johnson: “It’s not my first city winner. Slim Pickings won in town for me, but he only won at Doomben … so this is my first Eagle Farm winner.

“At one stage I wasn’t going to get a start. I wasn’t even going to accept. I was twenty-two-out of twenty-two … but, as it turned, we started.

“Yeah, at the winners’ enclosure I did mention a couple of previous rides on the horse that I didn’t think were the best. I won’t go into that now. The Stewards want to see me, so I’ll tell them. I’ll just have to cop that sweet.

“All I can say is that in the two rides he was ridden properly he’s done well.

“At Dalby, three runs back, he came down the outside fence and he shied at the crowd hanging over and ducked in behind and was still only beaten two half-necks by a length. He ran fifth. Then the other day at Ipswich the same jockey rode him. He rode a pearler in the heavy. He stormed home and only got beaten about a length into third.

“So when they ride it properly and he has some luck he’s in with a chance. Jacqui (Brown) listened to what I had to say and rode the horse perfectly.

“I just told Jacque (Brown), he’s easy to ride. I said just jump him out … make him jump and go till they slow, then put him on the bit.

“I said, let him cruise to get to the 600 and then just build and build and build. The last 200m I was happy. I knew he was going to run a place. The last 50m I was ecstatic.

“It will be good to see it on replay again. I don’t remember much of the last bit.

“At least I should get one trophy at the end of the year. I don’t think anybody is going to beat me for the longest priced winner.”

Jockey Jacque Brown: “Doug (Johnson) came to me this morning and just said, can you ride the horse in town. I said, aw… fantastic.

“Doug said I should just get the horse travelling … pull him out at the 600, because he is a horse that needs to wind up. He also said he is the sort of horse that doesn’t like it with the stick, so just sort of help him along … pick him up if he needs it.

“He did build momentum nicely and was full of running so it wasn’t too worrying over the concluding stages. He did it well.

“Congratulations to Doug. It’s good for him to get a winner in town.

“It’s made me so happy to get a winner for him. He is just the nicest guy. Since the day dot he has always put me on and it was a thrill for me to get one up for him, especially at the price.

“If you looked at its form maybe you wouldn’t give it much of a chance, but Doug has always talked the horse up. I remember him talking it up before it was even broken in so, you know, he always thought there was something in this horse.

“It was good for me as well. I also won on my previous ride in town (on Extreme Mover at Doomben on September 17) so that made it two-in-a-row for me in town.

“I’m very happy with that.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Carn): 51.00 out to 61.00
Favourite (Red God): 4.60 in to 3.70. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Connections advised that Thunder Lane would be ridden closer to the speed if circumstances permit. Thunder Lane subsequently settled towards the rear of the field.

Connections advised that Che Casino would be ridden aggressively from the barriers to position forward if circumstances permit. After being slow to begin it was ridden forward to obtain the lead near the 1500m.

As R. McMahon was to be overweight on Mr Nicholas and River Perfume (Race 3), riding changes were made as per the Stewards Summary Sheet.

Che Casino (J. Byrne) was slow to begin.

Smuggler's Inn (J. Taylor) was held up momentarily rounding the home turn.

Winmara (O. Turpin) had difficulty obtaining clear running over the final 200m.

Thunder Lane (L. Cassidy) was held up for clear running on the heels of Flying Touchdown (P. Schmidt) for some distance near the 100m.

Shaos (Matthew Palmer), Penny Louise (B. Looker), Mr Nicholas (K. Forrester) and Ausworld (B. Wallace) raced wide throughout.

Trainer R. Heathcote advised following the event that he would now consider the racing future of Mr Nicholas and Che Casino in light of today's performances.

Stewards sought an explanation from trainer D. Johnson regarding the improved performance of Carn.

Mr Johnson explained that the gelding was disappointing at its most recent start and added that at its three previous starts this preparation, the gelding's performances had merit. He further added that Carn is best suited when able to make a sustained run from the 600m and finish on the outside of runners in the home straight.

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