BRC JUL 25 - ZERO ROCK TOO HOT TO HANDLE

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 27, 2009

Doomben, July 25, 2009.
3yo QTIS Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-09.40.
Track -Good 3. Rail - out 5m.
1st - Zero Rock; 2nd - Lilleelavee; 3rd - Dr Barnard.

Not many horses win six of their first ten starts. That is where the career record of Zero Rock currently stands after the Kelso Wood trained filly scored in emphatic fashion at Doomben.

From the moment that Zero Rock won by six lengths on debut it was clear the daughter of Danzero was not short of potential. Another four wins followed in her next five starts, culminating in a clear-cut win in the $100 000 Magic Millions Plate in January.

Zero Rock had a three month break after that Magic Millions success. Her next preparation, which consisted of three runs, was her most demanding and her least productive. A mix of bad barriers and superior opposition (against Belong To Many in the Silk Stocking and against Ortensia in the Glenlogan Park Stakes during the Winter Carnival) brought her winning sequence to a halt, but there wasn’t a bad run in there.

Zero Rock was given another break following her Winter Carnival campaign and resumed here, clearly keen to be back in action. Trainer Kelso Wood generally prefers to understate the merit the performance of his winners. He knows that any overestimation of a runner’s ability is likely to come back and bite him and he measures his responses accordingly. Short and to the point as ever, Wood’s elevated rating of this win is thus well worth noting.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelso Wood: “I tell you what. That was a brilliant win. I don’t know where we’ll go from here. We’ll work it out. I wanted to see what she would do today first.”

Apprentice jockey Michael Hellyer: “Ah ... I tell you, to ride a horse like that ... to be given the opportunity ... it is just unbelievable. From (draw) eighteen from eighteen she has done a brilliant job. Going past the post I probably had the biggest smile on my face. It’s my first Saturday Metro winner. It is just a thrill.

“When the alleys came out on Thursday, I actually thought Kelso (Wood) would scratch her. But, we were positive from the gate and he (Kelso Wood) told me if I could get across and get a good run from there she would be hard to beat. Kelso said she didn’t have to lead, but to ride her as if I was going to. He said if I could get a position to take it, but that wasn’t the case today. I was able to lead. I was a bit worried at the half-mile that I had done too much to get across, but I was able to give her a breather mid-race, which was good. When I came around the turn and let her go ... gee, she gave me a great feeling.

“She has been disappointing of late, but she has come back real well. There is more improvement there. She was first-up over 1200m. She did knock up in the end. In saying that though she did do a lot of work from the alley. No, she’ll take a lot from that run and next start she can do the same again ... hopefully she draws an alley.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Zero Rock): 5.00 in to 4.20.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer J. Lyons was fined $100 under LR. 70 for failing to declare C. Reith as the rider of Drenalin by the prescribed time. After accepting the late engagement, C. Reith was unable to make the weight on Drenalin and was replaced by K. Forrester. C. Reith was fined $200 under AR. 120(b).

Trainer D. Kelly was fined $100 under LR. 70 for failing to declare D. Tanti as the rider of Strumming by the prescribed time.

Strumming was a late scratching at 3.35 p.m. when the horse dislodged D. Tanti travelling to the barriers.

Heza Flashman (K. Yoshida) jumped awkwardly. High Roll’n Woman (O. Turpin) jumped awkwardly and shortly after the start was bumped heavily by Spanish Fling (M. Radecker), which was taken in by Lifebuoy (S. Seamer). High Roll’n Woman lost ground as a result of heavy contact in this incident.

B. Stewart, the rider of Daddy’s Little Girl, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under AR. 137(a) in that approaching the 800m he permitted his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Spanish Fling, causing that horse to become unbalanced, resulting in the filly shifting out and making heavy contact with the hind quarters of Lifebuoy, which became unbalanced. B. Stewart's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 meetings, to commence at midnight on Wednesday, 29 July, and expire at midnight on Friday, 7 August 2009.

Leaving the 100m Steal The Cash (J. Taylor) appeared to shy at the whip of S. Katsidis (Lilleelavee) and shifted out abruptly, forcing Dr Barnard (N. Seymour) out on to Showit (A. Pattillo), which had to be eased when coming into contact with Fury (N. Paine), which in turn had to be steadied off the heels of Drenalin (K. Forrester).

Stewards questioned apprentice O. Turpin and trainer A. Bailey as to the performance of High Roll’n Woman which seemed somewhat reluctant to travel in the early stages and raced some distance back from the second-last horse. O. Turpin stated that the filly had received a heavy bump on jumping away and as a result seemed somewhat reluctant to race at that time in the race. Trainer A. Bailey stated that due to a breathing problem he had gained approval for the Cornell collar by trialling the horse satisfactorily on at least two occasions, however he felt High Roll’n Woman may still be becoming accustomed to racing with it and was reluctant to travel in the early stages. Trainer A. Bailey indicated that the filly may be looking for further in its races. The explanation was noted.

Hellyer