BRC JULY25 - CAPTAIN SONADOR GETS UP IN LAST STRIDE

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Doomben, July 25, 2009.
2yo QTIS Handicap - 1350m. Time: 1-20.88.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 5m.
1 Captain Sonador; 2 Startling Pleasure; Princess Qualo

Jockey Ron Goltz hasn’t had a smile on his face like he had when returning to scale here for a long time. The ride on Captain Sonador was Goltz’s first ride back following a seven week injury-enforced layoff following a fall at the Gold Coast and a rousing finish culminating in the right result certainly got the adrenalin pumping for the seasoned rider.

The success must have made the drive to Toowoomba seem shorter. That’s where Goltz went next. Once there, Goltz also made a winning return at that track, taking out the first race on the Patrick Sexton trained Red Ferments.

Captain Sonador began awkwardly and raced towards the rear of the field in the early part. With no real pace on up front the gelding was reasonably happy where he was, but the danger was always there that if someone from on the pace should kick on strongly, Captain Sonador would be left too far out of his ground.

That theory was put to the test by the frontrunner Startling Pleasure who backed up the field approaching the turn before kicking away strongly at the head of the straight. Goltz and Captain Sonador also set sail for home on straightening but they were still six lengths adrift of the front-runner at the 200m. Even though Captain Sonador managed to half that margin by the 100m mark, Startling Pleasure still looked well and truly home, but Captain Sonador kept coming and the colt flew over the final 50m to get up in the very last stride to snatch a dramatic victory.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Ron Goltz: “I’ve been out with injury for seven weeks. This was my first ride back. Just to be back is good. To get a winner in town first ride back is even better.

“The plan certainly wasn’t to be that far back. He stumbled out of the gates ... he tried to jump a stride too early and made a bit of a meal of the start. That’s why I elected to go back. We were going to ride him handy. I was never worried. I always thought we had a chance to get there and everything worked out for the best."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Captain Sonador): 4.00 out to 4.80.
Favourite (Surf’s Up): 2.00 out to 2.30. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Captain Sonador (R. Goltz) jumped away awkwardly. Blue Ali (B. El-Issa) was a little slow to jump. Near the 1200m Surf’s Up (S. Katsidis) was cramped for room between Dienekes (D. Tanti) and Princess Qualo (B. Pengelly), which was inclined to shift in. Spiffing (S. Seamer) was inclined to over-race in the early and middle stages. Princess Qualo, Cleats (J. Taylor) and Grand Reception (C. Reith) all raced wide in the middle stages.

When questioned as to the disappointing performance of Surf’s Up, S. Katsidis explained that he had been instructed to race the horse closer to the lead if possible today, however the horse again began awkwardly and near the 1200m seemed reluctant to hold its position when racing in restricted room and settled further back than anticipated. He added that he felt Surf’s Up was also disadvantaged by the slow early pace and may be better suited racing closer to the lead in a faster run race and that the horse did not finish the race off today as expected and on face value appeared somewhat disappointing. Trainer B. Hill agreed Surf’s Up was disappointing and would monitor the horse following the race to see how it pulled up and he may recommend to the owners that the horse be given an ease-up. A post-race veterinary examination of Surf’s Up failed to reveal any abnormalities.