BRC JUL04 - BATTLEFIELD SHOWS A TOUCH OF CLASS

By Matthew Grimson | Monday, July 6, 2009

Eagle Farm, July 4, 2009.
Ascot Handicap (Listed - Quality) - 1200m. Time: 1-11.15.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - True.
1 Battlefield; 2 Wasted Emotions; 3 Mitanni.

He is not just a pretty face. Battlefield can run.

The Paul Messara trained gelding completed a hat-trick of wins and he has taken the step up in class in his stride on each occasion, going from a Class 1, to a Three-year-old Handicap to this win in Listed company with the minimum of fuss. The flashy, chestnut son of Choisir has now won four of his six starts and few would bet on him stopping here.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Paul Messara: “That was pretty good, very impressive. He didn’t get out for a long time. We planned on being out a little wider and having a clean run home, but he found his way through the field and eventually got loose and when he did he was pretty impressive. He is going to be a good horse next time in that’s for sure.

“He’s a pretty exciting prospect. How far will he get? He’s a 1200m type horse I think. He’s a sprinter. He’s got tons of improvement left in him. The winkers definitely helped. It took a long time till he got loose. You know, it ended up being a good ride but it could have been one of those unlucky ones. He actually missed the start today. It was also the first time with the winkers on. So sometimes when they first go to the races with the winkers on they can be a little bit slow away.

“I think we might go to the Ramornie on the way home. News Alert is going to be there as well so it is going to be a tough race. That’s in ten days time in Grafton so that’s where we are headed I think.

“I will tip him out for a little while then. I’ll give him a couple weeks in the paddock and then take him down for the spring, for a couple of feature races hopefully.

“I thought he’d be a nice horse to bring up here and I thought he would be a nice horse for the spring in Melbourne. I just wanted to give him a nice time with a few runs up here and he has probably exceeded our expectations.

Jockey Daniel Ganderton: “He’s a real talent but he is still very, very raw. He did want to run in a few times in the straight. He was a fraction slow away and a bit hesitant between horses. Mid-race he actually over-raced a little bit with the winkers on.

“But I had a hell-of-a-lot of horse underneath me and I made the decision to go back inside because I felt if I got him out to the outside he’d probably be a little bit lost by himself. So I went between horses and he was probably a bit hesitant going there and a bit reluctant. When he got through, he really burst to the line. It was a terrific performance. He’s very poorly weighted against a couple of these horses - Wasted Emotions and Mitanni - for a horse with his record. But gee whiz he’s got a big future and, you know, just try and peel me away from him.

“He’s a real x-factor horse. I don’t think we really know how good he is just yet. My gut feeling is that he is a Group horse. Whether he can take the next step into being a Group horse... I am sure we’ll find out down the track. Autumn next year is when you’ll find out how good he is. He did a few things wrong today and he had a bit of a difficult time. They’re only little things that he’ll pick up, it’s only his sixth start in a race. He is so raw at the moment and to beat horses like this today at only his sixth start under these weight conditions is a terrific effort.

“I happened to ride him and win on him in his second start. I put very big wraps on him then and there. I had the opportunity to come and ride him the other day, but I couldn’t because of my ties to the Waterhouse stable in Sydney. I had no ties this week so I was able to come up and ride this week. I’m very happy I made the trip.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Battlefield): 2.60 out to 3.10.
The winner was the favourite. Battlefield was the only favourite to win on the day.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Burgeis and Sequestrate were tightened on jumping away between Danzylum and Flaming, which was taken out by Mitanni. Near the 1000m Burgeis improved up on to the heels of Battlefield and when being restrained shifted out taking Sequestrate wider on the track. Burgeis then over-raced for some distance thereafter. Zilzie raced wide throughout. Battlefield hung in in the straight when placed under pressure, placing its rider at a distinct disadvantage. Forestreno lost its near-hind plate in running.