BRC JUL 08 - STATHI ON THE SCOREBOARD, OFF ON ‘HOLIDAY’

By Matthew Grimson | Thursday, July 9, 2009

Eagle Farm, July 8, 2009.
Class 3 (Set Weights) - 1500m. Time: 1-32.13
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 5m.
1 Cicarelli; 2 Tarrayoukyan; 3 Chelle’s Alibi

Jockey Stathi Katsidis didn’t waste time in getting back to his winning ways. In only his second meeting back from a suspension and injury enforced layoff of seventeen months, Katsidis was back in the winners’ enclosure after guiding the Barry Baldwin trained Cicarelli to victory.

The result provided a double-edged sword for the rider. While the win was on the board, an incident near the 400m gave Katsidis problems in the Stewards Room where he was given a seven meeting ‘holiday’ after being found guilty of a charge of careless riding.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Barry Baldwin: “She’s a light little thing, as you might have noticed. She’s a light little type and she needs a little bit of time. She doesn’t appreciate the heavy tracks and we’ve taken our time with her. I’ve always thought she’d be a bit better over distance and it does look that way.” (This was Cicarelli’s first start beyond 1300m).

“She won her first couple pretty well and then she lost a bit of form just growing up. As I said she’s a light type and we’ve had a few problems with her, so we won’t overtax her too much.”

Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “Bloody oath, always good to get the monkey off the back as soon as you can. She wasn’t travelling really good in the run, but obviously to come home like that and win the race from as far back as she was is a good effort.”

“I pulled up really good after Saturday. I thought my calves might be a bit sore, but they weren’t. I pulled up heaps better than I thought I would and the more rides I have the better my fitness will be, you would think ... but I already feel heaps fit enough already. I feel very, very fit.

“I got a full book Saturday. I’ve got good rides in the Weetwood and the Toowoomba Cup and then I am going to the Grafton Cup next week for the carnival there. I’m looking forward to it.”

That’s not quite true. Katsidis won’t be at Grafton. When Katsidis shifted Cicarelli out at the top of the straight looking for clear running, he collided with Strawberry Ripple, given the mare a heavy bump causing her to become unbalanced while also forcing her wider on the track. That incident led to Katsidis being charged with careless riding. He has been given a seven meeting suspension (see Stewards Report Extract).

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Cicarelli): 4.40 out to 4.80.
Favourite(Chelle’s Alibi): 4.40 out to 4.60 in to 4.40.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
S. Katsidis, rider of Cicarelli, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that near the 400m he allowed his mount to shift out, which resulted in Strawberry Ripple (R. Wiggins) being checked. As a consequence of Strawberry Ripple being checked, Tactalso suffered interference. S. Katsidis was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 7 meetings, to commence at midnight, 11 July and to expire at midnight, 24 July 2009.