BRC JUL 18 - JACQUELINE ROUGE RUNS RIVALS RAGGED

By Matthew Grimson | Monday, July 20, 2009

Eagle Farm, July 18, 2009.
Tattersall’s Mile Handicap (Quality - Listed) 1600m. Time: 1-36.11
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 7m.
1 Jacqueline Rouge; 2 Ab Almalik; 3 Crossthestart.

The Tony Noonan trained Jacqueline Rouge gave her rivals a galloping lesson in the Tatt’s Mile. Sent into an immediate lead by jockey Stathi Katsidis, the mare set a lively enough gallop in the early part before finding an extra gear and skipping clear at the head of the straight to leave her rivals scrambling in vain in their efforts to try to get into the race.

Jacqueline Rouge’s stable companion Ab Almalik chased the leader hard for the length of the straight but he was never going to reel her in. Ab Almalik drifted out across the track over the final 200m but did enough to hold on to second placing to give the Noonan stable the feature race quinella.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “I got to keep pinching myself, I think I am dreaming!” (Katsidis was referring to his hot run of results since returning to the saddle). “I thought I’d go alright, but I’m lucky, I’m riding light so I am getting good rides. I’m riding at 53kgs, but I could ride at 52kgs if I had to.

“We jumped really well and I always had the intention to lead. Because there wasn’t much speed in the race I thought if I could be the aggressor, A couple horses came up to pressure me ... fought them off early in the race. Then she got an easy lead.

“From probably the 600m I let her roll along quite quickly. I thought you either had to be on the fence or five or six off ... or four to five or six off. I was able to pinch a break. The horses that were running me down were coming in the inferior part of the track. It was a good effort by her.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jacqueline Rouge): 5.50 out to 6.00.
Favourite (Hussta La Vista): 3.70 in to 3.40. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shakara (K. Pope) began awkwardly. Specialisor (B. El-Issa) was a little slow to begin. Approaching the 1200m, Kisani (J. Bowditch) commenced to over-race and had to be steadied from the heels of Rightson (R. Wiggins). Near the 300m, Lucky Luna was tightened for room between Crossthestart (J. Byrne) and Hussta La Vista (C. Reith), which shifted out to improve. Ab Almalik (S. Galloway) shifted out under pressure in the home straight. Stewards advised S. Galloway, rider of Ab Almalik, that he must fulfil his obligations and stop riding and straighten his mounts in similar circumstances.

When questioned regarding the performance of Lucky Luna, S. Seamer stated that the horse travelled well in the early and middle stages of the race despite being caught three wide, however when he placed Lucky Luna under pressure to improve its position approaching the 600m, the horse failed to respond and he became concerned with the horse's action and therefore chose to ease the horse down so as not to place it under risk of injury. Stewards will interview trainer Mr E. Ropiha in regards to the horse's performance at the earliest possible opportunity. A post race veterinary examination of Lucky Luna failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.