DOOM JAN 04 - HILL AND GRACE SCORES ONE FOR THE FAVOURITES

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Doomben, Janauary 4, 2012.
Track - Good 3; Rail - out 6m (1000 - 375m); out 4m (remainder).
Maiden Handicap (Mares) - 1350m.
1 Hill And Grace; 2 Miss Turlington; 3 Shady Deal; 4 Lady Carlson
Time: 1-20.62. Last 600m: 34.72.

The four-year-old Hill And Grace seldom runs a bad race and she finally found her due reward to claim her first win in her tenth start for trainer Jim Anderson.

Hill And Grace was the only favourite to win on the day.

Hill And Grace sat on the shoulder of the early front-runner Once Bitten until Matthew Palmer pushed her into the lead turning for home.

From there she whacked away, as did most of her chasing rivals, with no runner finding any acceleration of note.

So it was that, in a race between runners of limited ability, nobody was able to take the race by the scruff of the neck. As it was, Hill And Grace stayed on to ward off all challenges with Miss Turlington getting the nod in the close go for the minor placings.

Not an inspiring race and it is difficult to recommend any of the runners coming out of this field.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Matthew Palmer: “I rode her last time. I’ve also trialled her, so I do know a little bit about her.

“Last time she was only narrowly beaten at Ipswich” (by 1.30 lengths by Depasse). “It was a very good run because she was caught a little bit wide.

“Today she had a good gate and everything worked out well. She raced well and won accordingly.

“They were coming at her at the end but we got home in 33. We were only moderate early and then let them run home the last three furlongs, so they would have done a pretty good job to catch her.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hill And Grace): 2.50 out to 3.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Miss Turlington (J. Byrne) and Toboraigh Star (App B. Looker) both laid in when placed under pressure in the straight.

A post race veterinary examination of Sensibella (Michael Palmer), which compounded to finish a distant last, revealed the mare to be sore in both fore fetlocks. Trainer E. Press advised the horse would now be retired.

Maysong (App B. Wallace) raced wide throughout the event.

B. Stewart was examined by the Club's doctor following the running of this event and was subsequently stood down for the remainder of his events.

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