EF JUNE 8: LINTON STEALS THE STRADBROKE FROM UNDER BUFFERING'S NOSE. DREAM RAILS RUN CLINCHES RESULT

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Eagle Farm, June 8, 2013.
Track - Dead 4; Rail - True.
Group 1 AAMI Stradbroke Handicap - 1400m
1 Linton; 2 Buffering; 3 Streama; 4 Spirit Of Boom.
Time: 1-22.06. Last 600: 34.35.
Margins: 0.80; 0.20

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

“A rails hugging ride. The shortest way home is via the rail and Nick Hall just kept going through on the inside.

“Buffering was as courageous as ever. Buffering was in front until the last 100m but you could see that Linton was coming like a shot out of a gun and he grabbed Buffering late to get the money with Streama and Spirit Of Boom in the minors.

“Blinkers went on Linton today coming off some very good Adelaide performances, but he still went into the race a long shot and he has got the money.

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER JOHN SADLER (Chief trainer for Malua Racing):

“We spoke about the Stradbroke some time ago, Troy (Corstens) and I. We had a little bit of a chat about it sometime after Linton had won a mile race … the Lee Stakes … in Adelaide a little over twelve months ago.

“Then we had a disappointing spring with Linton and we gave him a good spell. We sent him down to Mark Young at Colac who is just a wonderful conditioner of horses. He sent the horse back in looking ready to win a Gary Owen … he really did.

“This time we’ve been able to keep the condition on him. It would be interesting for a lot of horse people to know that when this horse ran in the Cox Plate … where, in hindsight he shouldn’t have run, but during the spring we do some silly things … he weighed 465kg on that particular day. In the Stradbroke he tipped the scales at 510kg so that shows how much better a horse he was this time.

“It’s hard to say whether Linton has always been as capable as a sprinter / miler. I’d rather speak about him since I’ve had him but, I mean, he was a very good horse when Rob Hickmott had him.

“He ran some terrific races in some terrific races. He was second in an Australian Cup … third in a Guineas. He was placed in a Ranvet.

“Now the races we’d won with him up until the Stradbroke were only Listed or Group 3 races, so we hadn’t got to that level until the win in the time-honoured Stradbroke.

“I think everything fell his way in the Stradbroke. He was trained for the race as a sprinter. We never stretched his work out.

“After his two wins at Morphetteville we thought he needed to improve considerably to be able to go to the level of a Stradbroke, so we changed his training a little bit.

“We gave him a few hurdles which he took to like a duck to water. He just really enjoyed it after we’d schooled him. I’m sure he felt he could walk on water.

“He felt very good about everything and the horse thrived in the stable. Instead of losing weight, like he did in the spring, he put weight on. Then, the addition of blinkers … 54.5kg in a handicap … and then to get a rails run like he did was just unbelievable. Everything fell his way.

“Getting Linton to win the Stradbroke is the biggest thrill I’ve ever had … probably because it is terribly enjoyable to share it with a lot of people.

“My partner Shannon … we watched it together. You know, to see her excitement and then to get on the phone and hear the excitement from my kids and from people who are so important to Malua Racing. As most people will know now Troy and I are partners in Malua Racing … to speak to Troy and then speak to Stephan Friborg in Dubai … there are just so many people involved. It was just a wonderful day!

“Linton’s best distance? I think these good horses can stretch themselves out to all sorts of distances because they settle well and then they just have to put in their sprint so, if you ask me what actually is his best distance right now I’d have to say maybe 1400, but I think anywhere between that 1400m to 2000m is within range.
“I’d actually wouldn’t mind to try and stretch him out a little bit again in the spring. I’d like to go to the Cox Plate and give him a try if his form warrants it.

“We’ll give him a couple of lead-ups to that race … maybe the Toorak Handcap, maybe just set him for the Emirates, I’m not sure.

“We’ve got plenty of time to decide. He’s going to have three weeks up in Queensland … have a nice break up there and then come back.

“Any one of those races … but I’d like to have a crack at the Cox Plate.”

TROY CORSTENS (Malua Racing):

“It was amazing. This is actually Malua racing’s first Group 1. We’ve been going for about two-and-a-half-years, so it is really nice to win it with such a special horse like Linton.

“All credit to John Sadler. He is an amazing trainer.

“He said to me about six months ago, he said … I don’t think this horse stays, when I thought we should have been setting him for an Australian Cup or something like that.

“He mentioned the Stradbroke and I laughed at him but, I tell you what, he made the right decision and that was clearly justified today.

“They didn’t go hard early and I was really worried that we were back there, but it was a marvellous ride. The inside just opened up and Nick (Hall) went through and the horse hit the line with gusto.

“It’s really good for Nick. He is a terrific rider. He is very patient. He is a very cool customer and he did a great job today.”

JOCKEY NICK HALL:

“We really liked the horse but we weren’t real keen on the draw.

“We were always going to go back and ride him for luck.

"I walked the track earlier in the day and felt the going on the fence was as good as anywhere else. It was just a matter of getting the runs at the right time … … and the luck came!

“The horse has got serious ability. He’s going as good as he has ever gone … clearly. When we had him at Lloyd’s he galloped with the top horses there.

“We just had some issues with the way he sort of tackles races and his mental strength. I think 1400m is a good distance for him because it doesn’t make it too tough.”

* With this results Hall emulated the feat of his father Greg who won the Stradbroke as an apprentice in 1978 aboard Innisfree, who was trained by Nick’s grandfather, Ron. It’s the first time a father and son have ridden a Stradbroke winner. Linton gave Nick Hall his sixth Group 1 and his first since he won the 2010 Turnbull Stakes on Zipping.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

EPAULETTE (K. McEvoy) was slow to begin. YOUR SONG (P. Robl) shifted in soon after the start, resulting in YOSEI (M. Payne) having to be steadied.

DECISION TIME (H. Bowman), STREAMA (G. Boss), SOLZHENITSYN (M. Rodd), FAMOUS SEAMUS (R. Wiggins) and BETTER THAN READY (C. Newitt) raced wide throughout.

Approaching the 400m SIZZLING (C. Munce) shifted out and bumped HAPPY ZERO (D. Dunn).

Near the 250m FONTELINA (J. Cassidy) was steadied when racing tight between DECISION TIME (H. Bowman) and STREAMA, which shifted in.

Approaching and passing the 200m HAPPY ZERO (D. Dunn) had to be steadied when SIZZLING (C. Munce) shifted out when not quite clear.

Approaching the 50m SPIRIT SONG (M. Walker) shifted out to obtain running to the outside of HOT SNITZEL (B. Avdulla) and in doing so YOUR SONG had to be steadied. At the same stage, STREAMA, which was laying in, shifted in taking YOSEI inwards. A short distance later HOT SNITZEL shifted out resulting in SPIRIT SONG becoming awkwardly placed at that horse's heels and shifting out resulting in both SPIRIT SONG and YOSEI having to be severely checked. In the circumstances stewards could not attribute blame for the incident to any particular rider. Stewards nevertheless reprimanded both M. Walker and G. Boss (STREAMA) and advised them both to exercise more care in similar circumstances. FONTELINA (J. Cassidy), which was trailing, was unable to be fully tested as a result of this incident.

FAMOUS SEAMUS cast its near-fore plate in running.

When questioned as to the performance of BETTER THAN READY, trainer K. Schweida noted that the colt had pulled up distressed following the event. Mr Schweida was of the opinion that being obliged to race wide throughout the event may have contributed to the disappointing performance and undertook to advise stewards should anything come to light in the days subsequent that may have had a bearing on the performance. Mr Schweida advised that BETTER THAN READY would now be sent for a spell. A post-race veterinary examination of BETTER THAN READY revealed the colt to have a slower than average post-race recovery rate.

A post-race veterinary examination of YOUR SONG (P. Robl) revealed blood in the horse's offside nostril. Trainer A. Cummings will be advised that YOUR SONG must gallop to the satisfaction of stewards over 1000m prior to racing again.