CHADVETADZE SCORCHES HOME IN GOLD COAST GUINEAS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 2, 2009

Gold Coast Guineas (3yo - Group 3) - 1200m. Time: 1-08.81. Track: Good 3. Rail: True.
1 Chadvetadze; 2 Leapfrog; 3 Desuetude.

The Gold Coast Guineas provided a special moment for the connections of Chakvetadze. The filly retained not only her unbeaten record in the Group 3 contest, but she did so in a fashion which marked her as being every bit as special as an unbeaten run of six wins would suggest.

The daughter of Taimazov settled in seventh position in-between runners. She lost some ground switching out across heels at the head of the straight, but then enjoyed the benefit of being out in the clear and able to run her own race.

Chadvetadze took a while to get going, but she did quicken and gradually gathered what would become a winning momentum as she arrived in time to run down the game Leapfrog in the final 20m.

This result was Chakvetadze’s six successive win and, while maintaining a perfect record, she also pushed her stake earnings past the $250 000 mark.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Owner John Hooper: “My heart’s going two-hundred to the minute at the moment. It’s a terrific thrill to win today. It’s just amazing. She was further back than we expected. She was tardy to get away today ... she normally jumps. She never seemed to be travelling until he got her balanced in the straight and got her out and then she finished really, really well. A terrific win. Six from six and to finish with a Group 3 after six months of racing, starting with a Maiden win at Ipswich, it’s just fantastic.”

Trainer Michael Nolan: “Today was a big test for her, but we thought she’d still race good. I wasn’t confident until about the 100m but, this filly, she just doesn’t know how to get beaten. Brent (Evans - a claiming apprentice in a non-claiming race) has had a couple of rides on her now, that’s why we didn’t change the rider. I know he is only a kid, but he has got a great future. He knows her. She’s a bit hard to get in the barriers and different things like that. She’s just a bit fizzy ... a bit silly. Her going into the machines, I don’t know what that is. It’s just here. She’s got a bit of an attitude.

“We had a lot of pressure regarding what rider we were going to put on ... with a lot of phone calls and everything else. But we stuck with Brent. He’s done nothing wrong. He is a very confident kid and I think in twelve months time he’ll be riding in these races anyway, you know. There was pressure, but no long debate. John (Hooper - the owner) said go with Brent ... stick with Brent.

“He had her positioned nice from a bad gate and he timed his run well. We are just really thrilled. She’s a real quality filly. Lauries Lottery was the horse that put me on the map. I’d never change and rate one better than ‘Lauries’, but this filly is just top drawer. ”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans: “All credit to the filly. She was back off them a fair way and I had to bring her to the outside. It was unbelievable that she stepped up to the Group 3. I always thought she was going to the Silk Stocking. That’s what we set for her. There was a late change of mind, you know, to go to the Group 3.

“That’s the best she’s relaxed since I’ve rode her. I rode her quiet a couple of times, but she’s just never relaxed like that before. She’s always been a hard-going horse. It always wants to bowl along, but she relaxed well under me today. It was exciting all the way through, you know, having them next to me - McEvoy and them. All the big names ... yeah, it was good. This is my biggest win - my first Group win.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
R. Thompson (Youthful Jack) stated that he was of the opinion that whilst the horse travelled satisfactorily in the run when Chakvetadze went forward near the 300m his mount was a little flat footed and momentarily lost its position. He added that Youthful Jack however closed the race off, he thought quite well, but it may not have been suited by the firm showing signs of lameness in an off front leg. Before Youthful Jack races again a veterinary certificate of fitness must be produced.