DOOM MAR 13 - MALLYON TAKES APPRENTICE HONOURS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Doomben, March 13, 2013.
National Apprentice Series Class 3 Plate - 1350m.
1 Skating Away: 2 Go The Blaze; 3 Cover Up.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 3m.
Time: 1-21.25. Last 600: 36.22.
Margins: 1.00, 0.40.

Skating Away came home under a near perfect ride from Katelyn Mallyon to secure victory for the duo in the Brisbane leg of the National Apprentice Series.

It was a god comeback story for both horse and rider with trainer Darren Bell doing well bring Skating Away back a winner second-up after a four month layoff, while Mallyon clearly has the determination of a champion having returned to riding after recovering from horrendous injuries which sidelined her for nine months following a fall at Flemington .

Skating Away(4 gr m Bradbury’s Luck – Sweet Valley) is owned by D Toparis and Dilleen Thoroughbreds (Mgr: M S Dilleen).

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER DARREN BELL:

“When I saw the rider I got for the race … you know obviously it is a draw so we don’t get pick the rider … I was very happy. I like the way Katelyn (Mallyon) rides and I was happy to leave the ride completely up to her.

“I was probably a bit surprised when she drifted back to last, but she just let the horse travel into it.

“When the field bunched up, she didn’t panic. She waited. She spotted a run through and it turned out to be just the perfect ride. Horse and rider worked well together.

“The horse will improve with the run too because we have had to struggle with her. That was her second-up run. In fact I think she has got a lot of improvement in her and I rate her as a promising mare … up to Saturday class I reckon.”

JOCKEY KATELYN MALLYON:

“Yeah, that was my first ride in Queensland.

“That was only my second time riding a track that way around. I went to Sydney last year with the apprentice race and I was successful there as well.

“It feels really good. I’ve only been back for a month after being out with injury for nine months following a fall. There have been no complications or anything like that … I just had to focus on getting back to race fitness … but I feel one hundred percent now.

“The fall was at Flemington. I fractured by T6 … compressed and wedge fractured that. I lacerated by spleen and I broke my cheek-bone. They put me in a coma for four days … so you can imagine how good I feel right now.

“With regard to the race, there looked like there was going to be a lot of speed on paper and it worked out that way.

“I went out there with a plan. It usually doesn’t go to plan but today things ended up working out perfectly.

“I knew I had the horse underneath me with a good turn of foot. She travelled really nice in the run and when I picked her up she was straight onto the bit and straight onto the task at hand and she finished off better than anything else.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

Trainer R. Lyford reported that following the poor performance of Retracted last start a veterinary examination revealed the mare to have a slight upper respiratory infection which has been treated accordingly.

Correct weight was delayed to allow G .Goold, rider of the 4th placegetter, to view the video footage in the straight to ascertain if he had grounds to lodge a protest against the winner. Subsequently, G. Goold declined to lodge a protest.

Daisy Can Too (A. Taylor), Default (K. Bishop) and Bathilda (R. Hill) were slow to begin.

Making the first turn, Moment Of Impact (P. Schmidt) shifted in and brushed the running rail. At the same stage, Never Despair also brushed the running rail and shifted out hampering In A Storm (A. Allen). Bathilda (R. Hill), which was following, shifted out away from the heels of Ina Storm and as a result forced Default and Daisy Can Too wider on the track.

A short distance later, Skating Away (K. Mallyon) steadied away from the heels of Daisy Can Too, which shifted in. A. Taylor, rider of Daisy Can Too, was advised to be fully clear when shifting ground in future.

Near the 700m, Bathilda shifted out, taking Pintuck (B. Muhcu) and Default wider.

Go The Blaze (S. Guymer) was held up for clear running from the 500m until after leaving the 300m.

Apprentice B. Muhcu, rider of Pintuck, was reprimanded for using his whip 6 times in a forehand manner prior to the 100m.

Find out more about the winning trainer:
Darren Bell

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