TOO EASY FOR BELONG TO MANY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 2, 2009

Gold Coast - Silk Stocking Fillies & Mares Handicap (Listed - Quality) - 1200m. Time: 1-08.62.
Track: Good 3. Rail: True.1 Belong To Many; 2 Court; 3 Russeting.

Belong To Many gave jockey Blake Shinn a double on the day when she produced a faultless performance to take out the Listed Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast.

The mare, who was having her first run for the Gai Waterhouse stable, made light work of the dual disadvantage of carry a big weight from a bad barrier. She was more than up to the task of getting across from the start and settling into a position hard on the heels of the leader. Belong To Many was still hard held when she went up alongside the frontrunner in the home straight and Shinn only let her go over the last 180m, where she extended just to put the exclamation mark on the result of a race she had won a long way from home.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Travelling foreman for the Gai Waterhouse stable. “She is a lot better, as today, if she is up with the leader or out in the front leading. Last start (when second) she couldn’t get her own way in front ... couldn’t get across. You know Gai’s put a lot of work into her in the last three weeks since we’ve had her. Barbara Joseph had her before. This was her first run for the stable. The syndicate that owned her, they sort of sell out when it gets to a certain stage. She’s a five-year-old mare so they took her to the sales and she was sold and the new owners gave her to Gai to train.”

Jockey Blake Shinn: “First run for Gai. He was very impressive. Got across from a wide draw. Had to do a power of work, especially with 59kg on her back. She travelled well. It was a great win. She exploded when I asked her. So, basically, once we took care of the draw, we had things covered. A long way out I was pretty confident. It was just a matter of pushing the button at the right time. She might win one of these big races over the Winter Carnival.”