BRC JUL 04 - PLENTY OF PRACTISE JUST PERFECT

By Matthew Grimson | Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Eagle Farm, July 4, 2009.
Class 6 Handicap - 1500m. Time: 1-30.58
Track - Dead 4. Rail - True.
1 Plenty of Practise; 2 Majorca; 3 Morgalicious

Jockey Matthew Morris set out to make the most of a pick-up ride (with Scott Galloway stood down by the Club doctor) and he had a most willing partner in the form of the Frank Phillips trained Plenty Of Practise.

This duo ran their rivals ragged, scoring a clearcut end-to-end win. They duped the opposition early on, allowing them to stay close enough to figure they had a chance, but when Morris asked the mare to kick away over the last 200m, the four-year-old did just that, leaving the balance of the field scrambling for the crumbs.

Score one for the Red Team.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Frank Phillips: “She has been very consistent. When she was a baby she was that little bit weak. Now that she’s four-years-old, I expected her to come good. Probably when she is five she could be a little bit better, so we are still hoping on her.

“We’ll leave her around the mile. She’s been going around now for quite a long while. I’ll probably wait to let her tell me what to do with her ... in about a week. We’ll just see how she pulls up.”

Jockey Matthew Morris: “She was doing it really easy coming through the 600m. I just had a lap full of horse and she was just too good for them on the day. It would have to be one of her best wins. I hardly even touched her, just gave her a few little back-handers and she just streaked away with it.

“She jumped well, pinged the gates. We got a nice cross onto the fence and then from there on she was just doing it within herself, you know. I thought I was probably the winner from the 800m onwards. She was just doing it that easy, and then I just let her go. Gave her a few flicks and then away she went.

“I didn’t find out that I picked up the ride until literally three minutes before the race. I just walked in the gates for my other ride and Frank (Phillips) said, your here, you can ride it.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Plenty Of Practise): 6.00 in to 5.50.
Favourite (Kisani): 3.60 out to 4.40. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards opened an inquiry into the reasons for B. Evans being dislodged from Charlotte Courtney shortly after the start. After taking evidence from B. Evans and trainer B. Court, stewards were unable to ascertain whether the horse actually blundered or attempted to buck and accordingly the horse was declared ineligible to race until it trials to the satisfaction of stewards. B. Evans was examined by the Club's doctor and passed fit to fulfil his remaining engagements.

Samtheflirt, Dell Amby and Majorca were slow to begin. Near the 800m Intheblack, which commenced to over-race, improved up on to the heels of Teddy Bare and when being restrained shifted out. Certain Magic raced three wide throughout.