EF OCT 01 - FALINO BACK WITH A BANG

By Graham Potter | Monday, October 3, 2011

Eagle Farm, October 1, 2011.
Open Handicap - 1200m.
1 Falino; 2 Anyways; 3 Celtic Dancer; 4 Symposium.
Track: Good 3. Rail: True.
Time: 1-11.32. Last 600: 35.47.

Falino took out the ribbon for the run of the day at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

His trainer Jeffrey Caught had to make a dash of his own to get to the track on time for the race after saddling up a horse at the Gold Coast earlier in the afternoon and he must have thought a win was a lost cause as the runners thundered down the home straight.

Falino had endured a luckless run throughout and, still held up behind runners, it appeared this one would go in the book as an ‘also ran’. Even when Ric McMahon managed to extricate his mount out of a dead-end and Falino was produced full of running, it still seemed that there would not be enough time for the good-looking chestnut to get a result.

However, Falino’s superior ability kicked in with a vengeance over the final 150m and the four-year-old raced past his opposition to score a resounding victory.

As a first-up win, it could not have been more impressive and the result clearly opens up options for his connections.

Falino is now a five-time winner from eleven starts. His prize-money earnings now exceeds $250 000.

Falino is owned by J P Caught, A K Scougall, L T Hewitt, I G Jackson, Mrs C V Goodwin & K J Goodwin. The gelding was bred by Kia Ora Stud.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jeffrey Caught: “I’ve been down the coast. I had a favourite there. It got beat. I broke all the speed records to get here. I had an hour to get back. Thankfully that all finished well and was worth it.

“Yeah, his form had tapered off towards the end of his last campaign. I must be frank. At least part of that was my own fault.

“It was a learning curve for me training a horse running in top company. I had him running in the Guineas when he probably should have been in the paddock.

“But this was a good start back. Ideally I’d like to find him an easier race but, at the same time, I’ve picked out a race on Melbourne Cup day down there. I went through the form. The horses aren't up to top company, so I’ve been thinking we might give it a go. It’s a Listed race. It’s an Open 1200.

“I can’t say at the moment which way I’ll go.

“I’ll sit down and talk to Tony Noonan. That’s where we’ll be staying if we go down there. They stay with me when they’re here.

“I haven’t travelled horses to Melbourne. They’ve done a lot of travelling. It’s always good to have a second opinion as to how they handle it.

“I just don’t know yet. We’ll just wait and see. I’ll give it a week and then just work it out from there.”

Jockey Ric McMahon: “The difficulties we had in the running were not only in the straight. It was pretty much the whole race, to be honest.

“I sort of got over into a nice position. I was happy to be where I was. I thought I would get a lovely run.

“At about the 800 they backed off the pace. I didn’t expect them to. I thought they would go quick, but then they backed off.

“From there I was travelling, travelling, travelling … but I had nowhere to go. The situation didn't change until well inside the furlong, even approaching the 100, but when I got to the outside, he just went whoosh! It was good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Falino): 4.00 in to 3.80.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
When the pace steadied for some distance approaching and passing the 800m, Silver Scholar (J. Brown) had to be restrained to avoid the heels of Monashee Dancer (B. Looker).

Captain Clayton (J. Byrne) and Falino (R. McMahon) made contact on several occasions when attempting to position their respective mounts into clear running between the 300m and 200m.

Falino, after being held up for clear running, was then obliged to shift wider on the track in order to secure clear running.

Silver Scholar was unable to obtain clear running at any stage in the straight.

Stewards sought an explanation from L. Cassidy regarding the performance of Leapfrog.

Jockey Cassidy explained that he elected to surrender the leading position to Monashee Dancer when challenged on the first turn. He added that Leapfrog did not travel well from the 500m and when challenged in the home straight by Anyways (M. Hellyer), he placed Leapfrog under pressure however the gelding did not respond to his riding.

J. Byrne reported that he felt Captain Clayton being struck from behind in the middle stages, which resulted in the gelding racing fiercely during that passage of the race.

He added he had difficulty obtaining clear running in the straight, and that whilst the horse did not accelerate as expected, he was of the opinion that Captain Clayton being galloped on may have had an effect on its overall performance.

A post race veterinary examination of Captain Clayton revealed the horse to have been galloped on on both hind legs.

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