BRC JUL 25 - CROSSTHESTART DOES IT AGAIN

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 27, 2009

Doomben, July 25, 2009.
Open Handicap - 2020m. Time: 2-03.74.
Track -Good 3. Rail - out 5m.
1 Crossthestart; 2 Hey Elvis; 3 Regal Castanea.

The Bevan and Richard Laming trained Crossthestart continued to provide evidence that he is a horse on the way up when he landed his third victory in his last four starts.

It was a spirited performance by the four-year-old who had to produce a long sustained run after being held wide approaching the turn. Jockey Jim Byrne had to keep working on the gelding but in the end the effort proved to be perfectly timed as Crossthestart gunned down Hey Elvis in the final chase home to line.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Co-trainer Bevan Laming: “The gear changes (Norton Bit off – Cross-over Nose Band on) helped ... but, yeah, the other day they slackened abruptly in the running which only helped the leader. I think he could make a nice handicapper. He’ll most probably go to Sydney now, probably for the Metropolitan.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “He was a bit unlucky last week (in the Tatts Mile). Jacqueline Rouge went out and got just about everything its own way. All credit to this bloke for that run. He dropped back from the 1800m in a very slow run race and still showed a good turn of foot in the finish. Quick back-up today ... I was being pushed out a bit at the half-mile and that forced my hand a bit. I had to keep him rolling forward.

“The further he goes this horse the better he is going to be. I think he will definitely get up to the 2400m. The best part of it is that if you’ve got a stayer who can show the turn of foot he does, they normally go on to win a good race.”

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

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Crossthestart (J. Byrne) jumped away awkwardly, shifted in and bumped Yield Curve (O. Turpin). La Marianne (J. Taylor) jumped away awkwardly. Yield Curve was caught three wide rounding the first turn and raced three wide for the majority of the event. On the finish line Legendary Man (B. Pengelly) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Regal Castanea (D. Griffin). Hey Elvis bled from both nostrils. As Hey Elvis had bled for a second time, a life ban from racing in Australia was imposed. A swab sample was taken from Hey Elvis.