AUSSIE CHALLENGE FALTERS AT NEWMARKET

By Graham Potter | Saturday, July 11, 2009

Takeover Target showed some early grit but the task now looks to getting beyond him. Scenic Blast never travelled at all and he was never in play.

That is the simple description of the two-pronged Australian attack in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket which was won in quite dramatic fashion by the Jeremy Noseda trained Fleeting Spirit.

Fleeting Spirit shifted in markedly when hitting the lead inside the last furlong and jockey Tom Queally immediately changed the whip into his left hand, but when he used it to straighten his mount, Fleeting Spirit overreacted and shifted out dramatically. That move forced the two runners outside of Fleeting Spirit to take avoiding action. There was a Stewards Enquiry into the incident but the result was allowed to stand.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jeremy Noseda: “This wasn’t really the original plan after Ascot. I just made the decision after Ascot. I thought I’d hang about and I’ll give her a little break. We gave her ten days and did nothing with her. I thought well I want to be around if, for some reason, Scenic Blast didn’t turn up.

“I gave her a piece of work last Wednesday and all credit to Shaun Murphy who rides her out, he got off and said she’s come on an absolute bundle since Ascot. He is a very good rider and he was adamant she’s come on a lot. Then my mind started ticking ... and that’s it.”

Jockey Tom Queally: “We jumped nobody was inclined to go on, so as a result we've probably gone a shade slow in the early part of the race. At the furlong I gave her a crack on her right and she went left and then I pulled it (the whip) through immediately and the opposite happened, but I was well on top near the end. She has a really impressive turn of foot.”

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