SCTC JUL 19 - GRUNGLE GRINDS OUT FIRST-UP SUCCESS

By Graham Potter | Thursday, July 23, 2009

Sunshine Coast, July 19, 2009.
Class 2 Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-26.05.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 5m.
1 Grungle; 2 Duke Ivor; 3 Silken Appeal.

There were no great expectations for Grungle here. Racing fresh after a three-and-a-half month break over a distance well short of his best, Grungle went back in the field in the early part. He was still second last on the inside turning for home and, while travelling well enough within himself, he still didn’t look a likely threat as the field straightened for home.

Apprentice jockey Luke Rolls quietly kept Grungle at his task though and the five-year-old gradually began making up ground. With a little over 100m left to run, Grungle was still a couple of lengths shy of the lead. There were a host of challenges around him but, with nobody else able to take the race by the scruff of the neck and make it their own, Grungle was able to turn slow-building momentum into race winning acceleration as he took off over the last 75m to snatch the third victory of his career as only 2.50 lengths covered the first eight runners across the line.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce Hill: “Yeah, it’s a good name isn’t it? He’s a nice old horse. When I got him he was doing nothing and going nowhere. We got him out over ground last time in and he really come into his own. Then we give him a break and that’s his first run back. With the sting out of the ground and a bit fresh, he’s gone good. He’s just a nice old horse that doesn’t do much wrong, you know. Yeah, he’ll gradually step up from here to the 22’s and 24’s. He’s a nice stayer.”

Apprentice jockey Luke Rolls: “No I didn’t really think I was going to get there. He trialled well a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it was just going to be too short for him first-up. He races best when you just leave him alone coming out of the barriers and just leave him to find his feet. He was lucky today that he got the split between them, but it was definitely a promising run.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Grungle): 10.00 out to 14.00 in to 12.00.
Favourite (Steady Poplar): 2.70 out to 3.10 in to 3.00.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Johnny Cashless, which broke through the barriers and galloped for some considerable distance, was declared a late scratching at 2.23 pm. Trainer J. McLachlan was advised that he must obtain a further barrier certificate for Johnny Cashless prior to its next race start.

Bougette (M. Hellyer) was tightened for room on jumping away between Deltarara (M. Hughes) and Siong Tee (A. Pattillo), which shifted out. Encostigated (K. Pope) was slow to begin. Top Resource (O. Turpin) was inclined to hang out for the majority of the event. Duke Ivor (B. Thomson) raced wide for the majority of the event. Jockey A. Pattillo, rider of Siong Tee, reported that his mount and himself were struck by a shoe of another runner leaving the 700m.