EF OCT 17 - MASTERFUL PLAY WINS ON DEBUT

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Eagle Farm, October 17, 2012.
QTIS Three-year-old Maiden Plate - 1000m.
1 Masterful Play; 2 Players Choice; 3 Written Above All; 4 Heart of Ayla.
Time: 58.08. Last 600: 35.09.
Margins: 0.40; 1.50.

While Written All Above and Dysfuntional dominated the betting prior to the event, the action on the track turned into an entirely different two horse race between Masterful Play and Players Choice.

Both of these first-timers set sail for home with meaning early in the straight and it was soon apparent that the balance of the field were only racing for the minor placings.

With the chase well and truly on Masterful Play had to be resolute to the line as Players Choice rallied and looked to be about to get the upper hand inside the final 200m. The latter then began to shift out quite markedly though, losing valuable ground in the process and continued to move out all the way to the line, where Masterful Play’s strong, sustained effort ultimately carried him to a 0.40 length victory.

Any debut win is one for the notebook and the merit of Masterful Play’s victory was underlined by the fact that he posted a new class record time and had his field well-and-truly strung out behind him. Apart from the unfortunately wayward Players Choice, who actually lost his rider as the runners crossed the line, only the beaten favourite Written Above All was able to stay within four lengths of the winner.

Masterful Play (Minardi- La Beguine) is owned by BR Gray, M Croft, K Donohue, K Gray and Kingsportz Pty Ltd Synd. The colt was bred by Ms S Wheelahan

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Matthew Dunn: “The other one (Players Choice) did help us by running around and hanging out, but we’ll take the win.

“He has got lots to learn. He was on one rein the whole way down the straight. He can only improve.

“Having said that, we did have fair expectation of a win today.

“He’ll be alright. He is a nice horse. He is not mature.

“He is a three-year-old and we have just kept him back. There’s a lot of improvement in him.

“We bought him for $7000 at a QTIS sale. He didn’t have much of a pedigree but I sort of picked him out on type. He’s certainly started off on the right foot.”

Jockey Glen Colless: “He has come a long way. He has had a couple of trials and we brought him to the races expecting him to run really well.

“He had a bad barrier, but showed good enough speed to cross and find the fence.

“He got a bit lost in the straight and wanted to follow the other horse out.

“He might have been a bit lucky today to win, but it was still a good effort.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Masterful Play): 8.00 out to 10.00
Favourite (Written Above All): 6.00 in to 2.50 out to 2.70. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards permitted J. Taylor to replace apprentice T. Harrison as the rider of A Tad Apart when no other apprentice was available.

Honey Be Warned (P. Hammersley) and Ni Houlihan (R. Hurdle) were slow to begin.

Unspoken (M. Hellyer) was hampered at the start between Written Above All (D. Browne) and Masterful Play (G. Colless), which shifted in.

Heart Of Ayla (B. Richardson), Bastille Knight (C. Munce) and If He Don't (C. Maund) raced wide throughout.

Dubling (J. Letherby) hung out from the 600m and proved difficult to ride rounding the home turn. Trainer T. Gorring will be advised that a warning will be placed on the gelding's racing manners.

Near the 600m Unspoken (M. Hellyer) had to be checked when tightened for room between If He Don't (C. Maund) and Smakatus (K. Matheson), which was hanging out and shifted out away from Katika (D. Robinson), which was also racing greenly at that time.

After passing the 100m Heart Of Ayla was inconvenienced on the heels of Written Above All which when racing greenly shifted out.

Honey Be Warned raced greenly for the majority of the event and over the concluding stages shifted out abruptly. Trainer L. Thomson will be advised that a warning will be placed on the filly's racing manners.

D. Browne reported at scale that Written Above All raced greenly throughout and near the 300m put in an awkward stride and became unbalanced.

Players Choice hung out throughout the event and over the concluding stages shifted out abruptly resulting in apprentice M. Vance being dislodged after passing the finish post.

Trainer J. Phillips was advised that Players Choice must compete in official barrier trial prior to being permitted to race again. A post-race veterinary examination of Players Choice revealed the horse to be exhibiting an abnormal respiratory noise upon returning to the enclosure. Mr Phillips was also advised that he must provide the results of an endoscopic examination undertaken on the horse prior to its next start.

A post-race veterinary examination of Honey Be Warned revealed no significant findings.

Stewards opened an inquiry into the riding of Smakatus in the home straight. After taking evidence from apprentice K. Matheson and his master Mr B. Hearne, the inquiry was adjourned to a time and date to be fixed so as to allow P. Duff, the trainer of Smakatus, to be present.

Apprentice Vance was stood down from her remaining engagements by the Club doctor.

Find out more about the winning trainer
Matt Dunn

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