EF JUNE 1: SIZZLING STRUTS HIS STUFF

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 3, 2013

Eagle Farm, June 1, 2013.
Track: Slow 6. Rail - out 3.5m.
Queensland Guineas (Group 2) - 1400m.
Three-year-olds; Set weights; No age restrictions.
1 Sizzling; 2 Dances On Stars; 3 Lucky Hussler; 4 Academus.
Time: 1-24.25. Last 600: 35.57.
Margins: 0.40; 0.20.

Sizzling is owned by D H T Devine, Mrs D M Devine, M C Power, Mrs D M Power, N Morgan, Mrs J G Morgan and LR Matthews. The colt was bred by John and Trish Muir of Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud.

The Guineas victory was Sizzling’s seventh success in sixteen starts and it elevated his stake earnings to $1,289.000. Sizzling was a $260 000 purchase.

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

“Sizzling takes the Guineas … a great result for Queensland. He’s done the state proud.

“Sizzling didn’t begin brilliantly. He was back in the second half of the field early. He was in midfield at the 800m and he was up outside the leaders soon after straightening so Munce really put him into the race.

“It was a bold move by Chris Munce. He got going early. He was up there at the turn in a striking position.

“He went to the front pretty early, but he was strong to the line.

“The Sizzling of old has bounced back to winning form giving Queensland a great result as it is for Chris Munce riding after the health issues he has been through; for Kelso Wood a trainer of great standing and for Sizzling the horse himself who is loved by, not only Queenslanders but by punters Australia-wide.

“He was backed to a man today and the punters have struck and struck well.”

WINNER FEEDBACK:

PART-OWNER DAVID DEVINE:

“That was wonderful. It was great to see him ridden so well on his home track and now we look forward to going to the Stradbroke next week … with 5kg less!

“The preliminary final is good, but next week is the big game.

“The blinkers may have helped. We need some rain next week and then we can be happy again.”

TRAINER KELSO WOOD:

“He has vindicated what I have always thought about him.

“The blinkers did make a difference. I have always been a bit reluctant to put the blinkers on but as he got older and more relaxed, we thought we had better try them.

“We jumped him out at Doomben in blinkers the other morning. He pinged the gates and he travelled lovely and really let go when we let him down.

“They certainly helped him. They probably made him focus a bit more … and the fact that he was out wide and had no traffic in front of him also really helped him.

"It was a great ride by Chris (Munce). He showed what faith he had in the horse to ride him like that."

JOCKEY CHRIS MUNCE:

“You know Dave Devine said before the race this is the preliminary for him, next week is the Grand Final … and I said, that’s alright, I’ll take the preliminary any time I can.

“He was at that stage of his career that he had to measure up today.

"I had faith in the ability of the horse, he just had to put his best foot forward.

"I wanted to be a bit aggressive today and make him race with the blinkers on. It all worked out well.

''You can't ask for much more from a week both on a personal and professional level.

“Things couldn't be going much better.''

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

As M. Rodd was dually engaged on DOUBTFILLY and LILLIBURLERO, L. Cassidy was substituted as the rider of DOUBTFILLY.

Connections advised DANCES ON STARS would be ridden more quietly today, and COMPLICATE would be ridden forward with cover. The horses were ridden accordingly.

The start of this race was delayed when BOBAN had to be unloaded from the barriers to have its tongue-tie refitted.

FERMENT (C. Reith) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. LUCKY HUSSLER (J. Cassidy) was slow to begin.

GENERAL EXHIBIT (T. Harrison) raced very fiercely in the early stages and approaching the 900m had to be restrained to avoid the heels of LUNAR RISE (S.Arnold).

Near the 700m, LUCKY HUSSLER (J. Cassidy) shifted out and made contact with EYE WINSOME (J. Byrne).

BOBAN (H. Bowman) was held up for clear running in the early part of the home straight, and had to alter course the outside of LUNAR RISE (S. Arnold) after passing the 300m in order to improve.

Approaching and passing the 300m, MY SHABELLA (T. Bell) had to be steadied from the heels of SALUTER (J. Stanley) when that runner commenced to weaken.

DOUBTFILLY (L. Cassidy) and JIMANDO (T. Clark) raced wide throughout.

J. Riddell reported that PLATINUM KINGDOM did not appreciate racing in restricted room in the middle stages but was slightly disappointing when placed under pressure in the home straight.

Stewards sought an explanation from T. Harrison regarding the tactics adopted on GENERAL EXHIBIT, which was ridden in a midfield position which was in contrast to its most recent racing racing pattern. Apprentice Harrison stated that she had no specific instructions on GENERAL EXHIBIT other than to attempt to obtain some cover as the gelding has a tendency to over-race when ridden forward. She added that this has been the intention to ride GENERAL EXHIBIT in this manner in recent starts.

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