EF MAY 11: HAWKSPUR BOLTS IN

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 13, 2013

EAGLE FARM, MAY 11, 2013.

Track - Slow 7. Rail - True.
Mittys Rough Habit Plate (Group 3) - 2100m.
1 Hawkspur; 2 Survived; 3 Usainity; 4 Rowie.
Time: 2-15.22. Last 600: 36.36.
Margins: 3.00; 0.80.

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

“Hawkspur bolted in. He was a comprehensive winner.

“Given a good run by the ‘Pumper’. Jimmy Cassidy had him ready to strike soon after straightening. He pinched a break and that break was reduced to a degree, but the margin was still convincing.

“How many times in Sydney have we seen Jimmy take the shortest way home when other jockeys have gone wide? It was history repeating itself here … straight along the fence and too good!

“Survived was winding up … but when it was all over! He gave Hawkspur probably about seven to eight lengths start on straightening and he had run him to three lengths when the judge called a halt.”

PART- OWNER D PUGLISI:

“It’s a big win for us. We bred the horse. It’s by Purrealist. This is the first stakes win by Purrealist so we are extremely happy having come all the way from Port Lincoln, South Australia to be here today.

“We’ll be coming back a bit too. Hopefully we’ve got the Derby in line now.

“We think he might have just turned the corner. We’ve been watching him very closely and hopefully he can go on from here.”

ANNALISE TROLLIPE (Spokesperson for the CHRIS WALLER stable):

“That was fantastic. Jimmy (Cassidy) was told to try and get a little bit further forward than he has been and he did that.

“He got him travelling nicely around the turn and he said ‘see you later’ at the top of the straight.

“I’d say we’ll go to the Derby now.”

JOCKEY JIM CASSIDY:

“I travelled really good in the run. We probably rode him a little bit closer today. Being up in distance. We thought he could take up a spot and we used our barrier.

“At the 1000 I was really relaxed and then when … Timmy Bell or I think it was Muncey … one of them went around them and put on pressure up front, I just kept holding the fence.

‘Then I sort of got off the fence at the 500, then went back to the fence when I straightened.

“It really let down good. It was an impressive win.

“I rode him previously … probably a prep and a half ago. I haven’t been on him since. I rode him when he was young. I think he might have been a late two-year-old.

“His couple of runs this time in have been good. Brendon Avdulla rode him in the Packer Plate and he took off 500 out and whipped up around them and looked as if he was going to be hard to beat at the furlong, but he just died on his run.

‘I think stepping up the distance and obviously the cut in the track has really brought him into contention.

“That’s one thing about Chris (Waller). He treats his horses as individuals and picks the right races for them.

“If they are not quite up to Sydney preparation-wise … he was probably just off the better three-year-olds in Sydney … he’ll make a plan. So today was his fourth run in and obviously heading for the Derby.

“He’s on fire ... Chris.” (Waller also saddled up five winners at Rosehill as well as sending out a winner at Kemble Grange for a stable haul of seven winners on the day).

“What a great thrill it is for me to win the Rough Habit Plate. My association with Rough Habit continues.

“A couple of Doomben Cups … a couple of Stradbrokes. For me to win the Rough Habit Plate today brings back great memories. Yeah, great memories.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:

Winner (Hawkspur): 10.00 in to 8.00.
Favourite (Survived): 2.00 steady.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

Tonopah (P. Robl) was slow to begin.

Survived (J. Riddell) was hampered soon after the start when tightened for room between New Spur (T. Bell) and Stuboy (M. Cahill), which shifted in away from Usainity (H. Bowman).

Near the 350m Survived shifted to the outside of Usainity, inconveniencing Tonopah.

Stewards questioned J. Riddell in regards to his riding of Survived rounding the home turn and in the early part of the straight, in particular the reasons he did not progress from a trailing position behind Usainity around that runner rather than committing to a run to that horse's inside which resulted in him being momentarily held up and obliged to alter course quite suddenly near the 300m to obtain clear running.

J. Riddell stated that he was confident a run would come to the inside of Usainity between Stuboy and Heater (C. Munce), however when that run did not eventuate he was forced to alter course to the outside of Usainity near the 300m, coming into contact with Tonopah.

Trainer J. Bary stated that he was satisfied with the decision of jockey Riddell to remain to the inside of other runners as the horse is still inexperienced and has shown in recent starts that it has a tendency to shift its ground when brought to the outside to make its final run.

After considering the explanation provided by jockey Riddell, stewards informed him that in their view he had erred by not maintaining a position that allowed him to progress to the outside of Usainity in the home straight, thus affording his mount clear running upon straightening. Stewards did not feel, however, that his actions were to the extent that would bring his riding within the purview of the rules.

Following the running of this event the track was further downgraded to Heavy 8.

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