DOOM MAY 18: FUNTANTES STILL FLYING HIGH

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 20, 2013

DOOMBEN, MAY 18, 2013

Track - Dead 4. Rail - 1.5m 900m - 375m. True Remainder.
Channel Seven Fillies and Mares Handicap - 1100m.
1 Funtantes; 2 Pure Purrfection; 3 Liesele; 4 Comahni.
Time: 1-05.33. Last 600: 34.03
Margins: 1.30; 0.40.

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

“Funtantes got outside the leader, kicked strongly at the top of the straight and held Purrfection who fought on for second.

“Good ride by Priscilla Schmidt. It’s always a great thrill for an apprentice to ride a winner during the carnival because they don’t get a lot of opportunities, so Priscilla will be delighted that she has partnered Funtantes to her ninth race win.

“The sprint home was 34.03 … a good sprint home which made it difficult for those back-markers to come into the race.

“She has been a wonderful mare … Funtantes … over several seasons. It’s great to see a mare backing up every season and racing competitively. Maybe not at the top level, but not far from it.

“Pure Purrfection finished second. Liesele was third. They looked the three on paper and it panned out that way.

WINNER FEEDBACK

TRAINER ROBERT HEATHCOTE:

“I said when I came out of the stewards’ room with that fine last week, I wouldn’t even talk to my wife, let alone the media … but that was just a reaction at the time. That’s past. I’m happy to talk to the media.

“That was a very rewarding win, particularly for the horse. She often gets to do it tough with big weights and, more often than not, she gets taken on.

“It was a lovely ride by Priscilla (Schmidt). She controlled the tempo of the race and the class factor kicked in at the top of the straight. The horse was too good.

“She is a quality mare … she has been her entire career from when she won a Group 2 as a two-year-old right through until now.

“She always puts in a hundred percent. She paraded and presented well today and a lovely ride helped secure the result.”

JOCKEY PRISCILLA SCHMIDT:

“She has got a tendency to be that bit slow out. She is such a relaxed horse I think she just goes t sleep when she is in the barriers, so there was some concern with getting her out of the gates today.

“She jumped on terms with them but I did have to do a bit of work to get across from the wide barrier.

“I had anticipated sitting outside Michael Cahill (on Dream’N’Ignite) but he must have been a bit slow away and when I saw Pure Purrfection there it shocked me a little bit, but I was happy to sit outside of it.

“She got into a bit of a breathing pattern and she was relaxed so, it wasn’t pretty but she got the job done.

“She was dropping back from a Listed class and her class was always going to carry her through provided we could find a little bit of luck from the outside alley, which we did. Luck was on my side today.

“That’s my first time on her and I would be happy to stay on her. She is such a relaxed horse … and she is just all heart. She just brings it all to race-day and switches on when you ask her.

“I’m just very lucky to have been given the opportunity by Rob (Heathcote) to ride her on such a big day.

“To ride a winner on a Group 1 day of the carnival is just a massive thrill.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:

Winner (Funtantes): 3.40 out to 3.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

Trainer B. Baldwin was fined $100 for failing to declare a rider for THE RIGHT ONE by the prescribed time.

Trainer D. Forster was interviewed regarding the disappointing performance of DREAM'N'IGNITE on a heavy track last week. She advised that the horse had recovered well and expected a forward showing on today's firm track.

LIESELE, which had some swelling on the off side neck, which appeared to be bite mark, was examined by the veterinary surgeon and cleared to start.

AROUND THE WORLD (M. Hellyer) and DREAM'N'IGNITE (M. Cahill) were slow to begin.

After travelling a short distance, FANCIFUL (C. Munce) was inclined to lay in and as a result had to be steadied from the heels of LIESELE (D. Browne).

FANCIFUL (C. Munce) over-raced in the early stages.

ERVBEFEL (R. McMahon) over-raced approaching and the rounding the first turn and when being restrained got its head in the air.

After passing the 800m, THE RIGHT ONE (P. Hammersley) commenced to hang out and had to be steadied from the heels of OFF AND LAUGHING (J. Byrne). THE RIGHT ONE continued to hang out in the middle stages and shifted wider on the track.

Trainer B. Baldwin was advised that THE RIGHT ONE must trial satisfactorily prior to its next race start. A post race veterinary examination of THE RIGHT ONE failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

Near the 300m, AROUND THE WORLD shifted out and made contact with OFF AND LAUGHING. A short distance later, OFF AND LAUGHING had to be steadied from the heels of FANCIFUL (C. Munce), which shifted out.

Approaching the finish line, PURE PURRFECTION (R. Wiggins) had to be steadied and alter course when FUNTANTES (P. Schmidt) shifted in. P. Schmidt, rider of FUNTANTES, was reprimanded.

M. Cahill was afforded the opportunity to comment on the performance of DREAM'N'IGNITE. He stated that after being slow to begin he was forced to race in the second half of the field and, in his opinion, this had a detrimental effect on the mare's performance as the mare does not stretch out or travel well when positioned behind other runners.

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