GOLD COAST JAN 7 - DIVINE CITY OVERCOMES PRE-RACE ANTICS TO SECURE AN EYE-CATCHING WIN

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 8, 2012

Gold Coast, January 7, 2012.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Quality Handicap (Three-year-olds) - 1200m.
1 Divine City; 2 Leealan; 3 High On Believing; 4 Spinhro.
Time: 1-10.10. Last 600m: 34.71

Rockhampton based trainer Garnett Taylor struck gold at the coast when the filly Divine City produced a storming finish to snare the long-time leader Leealan in the final few strides score in style.

The measured way in which Divine City turned in a winning performance was in stark contrast to her wayward antics before the race.

If you had watched trainer Garnett Taylor struggling to calm and control Divine City in the parade ring prior to the race, it would seemingly have meant taking a brave step if you were to put money down on the filly. Punters did though (the filly had solid support) and that move was based on the fact that this was not the first time Divine City has been ‘fizzy’ before going out battle, and the fact is that she seems to calm down once out on the track and then run to her ability.

That is exactly what she did here, so next time you see her parading ‘with attitude’ don’t be fooled. It is just a particular trait that she has … unfortunate, but seemingly inconsequential.

Leeana jumped into an immediate lead and set off to try and make every post a winning while jockey Chris Munce was happy to let Divine City track her market rival Pear Tart until the turn hoping the Patinack runner would cart her into the race.

With Pear Tart only laboring on straightening and Leeana still kicking away strongly at the head of affairs, Divine City was suddenly left out on a limb with Munce angling his mount out into the centre of the track a full six lengths adrift of the leader.

The resolve was there though and Divine City gradually built was what to turn out to be winning momentum. She needed the whole length of the straight though to complete that task but, in the end, she nailed the game Leeana, who was now understandably feeling the pinch after giving his all from start to finish, in the shadow of the post.

The lightly raced Divine City is now a three-time winner from only seven starts. This latest win has taken her stake earnings through the $100 000 barrier, not a bad return for a filly that came with a purchase price only $750.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Garnett Taylor: “Pretty relieved with that. We’ve been down (from Rockhampton) for a few weeks. She’s had a couple of unlucky runs but she’s made it worthwhile now.

“He goes pretty good, but she’s her own worst enemy sometimes. She can be skittish. She certainly can play up a little bit, as you saw.

“I brought her down her to Brisbane for a QTIS race about June or July last year. She knocked herself over in the tie-up stalls and I had to scratch her.

“She settles down once they get on the track and she is gem behaviour-wise at home, so it is just a little quirk she has with her pre-race routine. She’ll is getting better than she was and, you know, if she runs like that I’m not going to complain.”

Jockey Chris Munce: “She was a bit stirred up the other day at Doomben as well before the race, but probably not as bad as today.

“Obviously having to back up … being a mare with the hot weather, it might have upset her a bit, but it was just in the enclosure that she got stirred up. Nothing drastic and she was soon alright. She is a really tough filly.

“I was on her last time and had enough confidence in her to stay with her. I actually recommended he (trainer Garnett Taylor) back her up. He wasn’t really thinking about this race, but then he had a look at it and agreed we might as well run it.

“She raced a little bit closer than I anticipated early, but she travelled well. It was just a matter of getting out into a bit of daylight so she could let down.

“It was a good effort.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Divine City): 3.50 out to 4.40 in to 3.70.
Favourite (Pear Tart): 3.30 in to 2.80 out to 3.00. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer D. Baker advised that Mr Favulous would be ridden in a forward position today if circumstances permit. The horse was ridden accordingly.

Moroccan Dancer (R. McMahon) shifted out and the start and bumped Spinhro (M. Gray).

Jet Star Girl (J. Taylor) and Aldini (Matthew Palmer) were tightened for room on jumping away between Skater Dude (D. Griffin) and Pear Tart (App T. Bell), both of which shifted ground.

Near the 900m Winds Me Up (B. Stewart) had to be steadied momentarily when tightened by Pear Tart, which shifted in.

App T. Bell the rider of Pear Tart was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under the provisions of AR137(a) in that approaching the 700m he permitted his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Winds Me Up, resulting in that horse being tightened and taken in onto Moroccan Dancer (R. McMahon), which had to be checked. Spinhro (M. Gray) which was following also had to be checked.

App Bell's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of eight (8) meetings to commence midnight 14 January 2012 and expire at the conclusion of the Ipswich meeting on 27 January 2012.

For a short distance rounding the home turn Jet Star Girl was forced to race in restricted room between Moroccan Dancer, which was shifting out to improve and Caressable One (E. Wilkinson).

Near the 300m Mr Favulous (J. Ford) shifted out resulting in Pear Tart having to be steadied. Pear Tart then had difficulty obtaining clear running until a point leaving the 150m.

Skater Dude and Divine City (C. Munce) both raced wide throughout the event.

B. Stewart rider of Winds Me Up, which compounded badly, reported that the horse was making an abnormal respiratory noise over the concluding stages. Trainer G. Heinrich will be interviewed in regards to this matter at a later date.

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