GCST JAN 12 - KELSO GETS HIS MILLIONS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 12, 2013

Gold Coast, January 12, 2013.
Track - Good 3; Rail - out 0.50m (entire circuit).
$2 Million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic - 1200m.
1st - Real Surreal; 2nd - Sweet Idea; 3rd - Missy Longstocking; 4th - Global Dream.
Time: 1-09.98. Last 600: 35.58.
Margins: 0.20; 1.30.

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER KELSO WOOD:

“It’s been 25 years since I won and lost the last one but I’m not going to lose this one.

“To win this is certainly satisfying after what happened with Prince Regent (who was relegated to runner-up behind Molokai Prince in 1988 after the latter’s successful protest).

"I was a bit concerned when they straightened up. I was hoping we'd be coming down the outside.

"She got a good passage through and put an end to it.

"She's got a great finish. She's a great filly. She's going to make a beautiful three-year-old.

“The owners bred her. They put her one of these sales and bought her back to qualify her for this race.

"They been great supporters of mine and for them to have bred the filly and brought it through to win a race like this is a fantastic achievement.”

JOCKEY MICHAEL CAHILL:

“I was back a bit further than I wanted to be because the filly just hasn’t got that much early pace in a race like this.

“She started to travel from about the half-mile. I was confident she was going to be in the finish from that point on, provided she could gain the openings.

“I came out a little bit coming to the turn. I was able to improve into a better position. Then I saw a little bit of an opening. It was about half a run ahead of me, just as she was gathering steam and fortunately it opened fully just as I got to it.

“She burst through like the good horse she is and my confidence soared then. She finished off really strongly and was an absolutely worthy winner.

“Every horse had its chance.”

JOCKEY DAMIAN BROWNE (rider of beaten favourite Missy Longstocking):

“She was probably half-a-length slow out … which she can be. They crossed her pretty quick and there was a bit of carnage in front of her and they sort of dropped back into her lap.

“I elected to make a run around them.

“Halfway up the straight I still thought she was going to run them down, but the effort probably told on her from 100 out.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

Sweet Idea cast a plate during its preliminary and had to be reshod. The horse was subsequently examined by the veterinary surgeon and passed suitable to race.

Greytfilly (R. Wiggins) and Gracious Prospect (App C. Schofield) were both tightened for room at the start between Architect (A. Erhart), which shifted out after receiving a bump from Missy Longstocking (D. Browne) and I'm Too Sexy (L. Currie), which shifted in shortly after the start. Clevadude (C. Newitt) was slow to begin.

Calcatta (D. Dunn) shifted in of its own accord approaching the 900m and made contact with the running rail.

Leaving the 800m Ticket To Toorak (J. Mott) improved up onto the heels of Choose A Saga (E. Wilkinson) and when being restrained shifted in tightened the running of Change Of Honour (M. Rodd).

From a point passing the 600m until straightening to the run home Missy Longstocking was unable to improve forward when placed awkwardly at the heels of Ticket To Toorak (J. Mott).

Change Of Honour raced greenly in the straight when placed under pressure. Architect laid in under pressure in the straight.

Certitude (T. Berry), Sir Luminar (H. Bowman), Global Dream (G. Colless) and Gracious Prospect all raced wide throughout the event.

When asked to explain the performance of Clevadude jockey C. Newitt stated that the horse was fractious in the barriers and was slow to begin. C. Newitt added that the horse did not show its customary speed in the early stages, got on the wrong leg approaching the first turn and in his view had not appreciated racing in a clockwise direction.

Trainer R. Hore-Lacy expressed his disappointment in the performance of Clevadude advising stewards that the horse sweated up quite badly in the lead up to the event which is unusual for the gelding and added that at the horse's two previous starts it has been able to lead and dictate terms.

A post race veterinary examination revealed the gelding to be suffering from heat stress and to be exhibiting a slower than normal recovery rate. .

A post race veterinary examination of I'm Too Sexy revealed the filly to have lost a near-fore bar shoe during the race.

Kelso Wood