EF MAY 11: ALMOST TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT AS CUDDLESOME SQUEEZES IN

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 13, 2013

EAGLE FARM, MAY 11, 2013.

Track - Slow 7. Rail - True.
Alliance Airlines Fillies And Mares Handicap - 1400m.
1 Cuddlesome; 2 Hidden Kisses; 3 Alcancia; 4 Purfectress
Time: 1-25.03. Last 600: 36.65.
Margins: 0.10; 0.80.

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

“Cuddlesome crossed from the wide gate. There didn’t look to be a lot of speed in the race and she went forward.

“She sat outside Stolen Kisses. Fair to say the speed wasn’t strong in the early or middle part.

"She gave a good kick in the early part of the straight, but Hidden Kisses started to raise an effort, as did Alcancia, but, at the same time, they couldn’t peg back Cuddlesome and she was able to just get home and score by a nose.”

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER LES ROSS:

“Chris (Munce) has never ridden a winner for me. This was the first one, so I’m very happy about that.

“I feel for poor, old Brad (Stewart – the Ross stable’s regular rider). She was weighted at 54kg and he said early in the week that he couldn’t make the weight and then the weights were raised to 55kg.

“If we knew she was going to have 55kg Brad would have been in the saddle.

“Anyway, it is a good result.

“She has never won over 1200. She has never won first-up and up until today Chris had never ridden a winner for me so, on stats, it was virtually impossible for her to win.

“Things were getting a bit tight in the end, but she got there.”

PRICE FLUTUATIONS:

Winner (Cuddlesome): 6.00 out to 7.00.
Favourite (Hidden Kisses): 3.00 out to 5.00. Finished second:

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

The start of this race was delayed when Pretty Gully (B. Stewart), which shifted a plate during its preliminary, required farrier attention on arrival at the barriers.

Product (P. Robl), Alancia (R. McMahon) and Flying Jet (L. Cassidy) raced wide throughout.

G. Colless reported that Show Affection travelled comfortably in the early and middle stages, but when placed under pressure in the home straight did not quicken and in his opinion was not suited to today's track conditions.

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