DOUBLES ALL AROUND AT THE SUNSHINE COAST

By Graham Potter | Sunday, May 3, 2009

Three jockeys and one trainer scored doubles at the meeting. Damian Browne, Dan Griffin and Eddie Wilkinson shared the day’s riding honours, while the training partnership of Bruce and Jason McLachlan kept up their regular stream of winners, being the only stable to saddle more than one winner on a day on which five favourites saluted.

Race 1

3yo and up Maiden Plate (Set weights) - 1600m. Time: 1-37.88. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Kenny’s Magic; 2 Markhee Miss; 3 Biscays Best.

Kenny’s Magic lay just worse than midfield in the early part as Public Image set the early target, but jockey Kevin Forrester changed the whole complexion of the race by electing to make a bold forward move in the sweep to the turn. Forrester pushed Kenny’s Magic out with meaning and he four-year-old raced right around his field to be right up alongside the leader on straightening.

The duo didn’t stop there. Having built a sizable momentum, Kenny’s Magic continued to roll. At the 250m mark, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Forrester had only just pushed the button then, as Kenny’s Magic bolted clear of his rivals turning the race into a ‘no contest’ a long way from home.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Adam Ivor: “He (Kevin Forrester) went a lot earlier than I thought he would. I was thinking, I hope he hasn’t gone too soon. But the horse just made a meal of it. I think it was lucky that there was nice early speed. That helped the horse. Last week he just got caught in a slowly run race. They flew home in 32.8, or something, and he was only a length off at the finish - and he was still finding them at the line, you know. So, with the speed on, it just helped us.

“We stepped up in distance. He has run a place over a mile before. He has sort of shown ... you know, even in his work he’s been stronger at the line. We’ll just see. When I got him ... I’ve only had him for his last five starts - and, while he did it quite well today I know, I really think probably a month off now would be good. He had a pretty hard time of it before we got him and he’s not eating as well as I’d like. So, yeah, at least we can put him out now with a win behind his name.”

The 5.30 length winning margin posted by Kenny’s Magic was by far the most clear-cut win on the day.


Race 2:

3yo and up Maiden Plate (Set weights) - 1200m. Time: 1-12.76. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Dai Kon; 2 Carry On Dancer; 3 Monates.

Dai Kon landed in the leading line and settled on the rail inside of Spirit Express. These two runners matched strides until leaving the 300m where Dai Kon shifted out onto Spirit Express. The latter then began badly unbalanced and began to run around under pressure, leaving Dai Kon out at the head of affairs. After that the short-priced favourite never allowed anybody else into the race and he went to the line in comfortable fashion to land a soft win.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Near the 300m, DAI KON (E. Wilkinson) raced greenly and shifted out, taking SPIRIT EXPRESS (M. Hughes) out on to MONATES (B. El-Issa), causing both horses to be hampered. The connections of DAI KON were advised that a warning was being placed on DAI KON.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce McLachlan: “He is a horse that’s had a lot of leg problems - he’s a bit off centre - and that’s why he hasn’t raced until a four-year-old. I think he has got ability, but he is unsound.”

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson: “He’s a nice horse. He had the two seconds coming in here and it wasn’t a very strong race. He won it well.”


Race 3:

3yo QTIS Maiden Handicap - 1000m. Time: 58.96. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Her Pic; 2 Go Chloe; 3 Stainglass.

Her Pic was given the run of the race in fourth on the rail. She responded on cue in the home straight to take the measure of the front-running Go Chloe in untroubled fashion to score with something in hand.

Her Pic was the third successive favourite to win on the day.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Birchley: “We put the blinkers on first time. She’s had a bit of trouble in the barriers. She’s had shocking luck. She’s had horses sort of go off beside her. That week one broke through the barriers and did a lap. That just upset her. She got scratched. I only got her passed on Tuesday. I put the blinkers on more for security than anything else, you know, just to cut down her field of view. I thought she might feel a bit more secure in them. It seemed to work.”

Jockey Damian Browne: “Yeah, she’s been unfortunate. She’s had a couple of problems in the barriers ... horses going off beside her. She had just lost a bit of confidence, but today she was pretty well behaved. She is a lovely filly. She gave me a good feel and a nice ride. I was pretty confident a long way out.”


Race 4:

Class 1 Handicap - 850m. Time: 48.71. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Take A Stand; 2 King Of The Kongo; 3 Carry On Cougar.

Take A Stand was racing second-up here after an eight month spell. The gelding was friendless in the betting on the basis of his very ordinary performances both sides of his layoff, but he jumped like a horse ready to race and he maintained a strong race-winning gallop all the way to the line to score every bit as easily as 3.30 length winning margin suggests. The local tote win dividend of $42.90 told the story.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Dan Griffin: “He showed plenty of speed early and just got them off the bridle. He travelled into the straight beautifully and really let down. He ran a bit of time too. It was a little bit of a hairy ride and he was a little bit ... not ready for more yet. Like the half-mile sort of suited it. I think that will be the aim ... to keep it running over those short trips and to keep it fresh.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
When questioned regarding the seemingly improved performance of Take A Stand, trainer S. Jones' representative Mr C. Sparks stated at the horse's most recent start it was first up from a lengthy spell and raced on a very heavy track, which the gelding failed to handle and pulled up distressed following that event. He further stated that he was not surprised with the forward showing today. The explanation was noted.


Race 5:

Open Handicap - 1600m. Time: 1-39.26. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Nellie Got There; 2 Longstreet; 3 Seen’em Comin’.

Nellie Got There catapulted out of the barriers, but was then eased back to settle in the box seat. The five-year-old saved ground on the turn, as did Longstreet. These two runners kept grinding away and gradually reeled in the front running Seen’em Comin’. The three runners then went to the line in a pressurised three-way battle and it was Nellie Got There who did enough to carry the day and claim the eleventh win of his career.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bruce McLachlan (who completed a double on the day): “We’ve got nothing set for him. We’ll just take the races as they come. He is a very honest horse.”

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson (who completed a double on the day): “I rode him once before in town. He is a bit of a tricky horse and they actually put him over a few jumps this week, just to try and sharpen him up. He has got a bit of an attitude. That was the right race for him today and he was able to get away with it.”


Race 6:

Class 1 Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-25.46. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Logie; 2 Cayman Islands; 3 Spanglish.

Logie settled in midfield, saving ground on the inside, until turning into the home straight. The gelding appeared to be full of running, but he did had did not get into clear galloping room until the 200m mark. By that time Cayman Islands had got first run on Logie, but the latter’s response was decisive enough to turn things around as he flashed home to take the measure of Cayman Islands inside the final 100m.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Graham Henderson: “He had a big spell. He was out for eight or nine or ten months. There were no issues. I just wanted him to have a big spell. A great mate of mine had him in his last prep - Pat Duff. He’s a good trainer Pat. Then I started training at the Gold Coast myself. I said to Pat, I’m just going to play around with him myself. So, I’ve only had him the last two starts. He’s developed. He was always going to be a nice horse. He was second-up here and stepping up in distance. He had a bad barrier, here but I said we must just go back. He gets home.”

Jockey Dan Griffin (who completed a double on the day): “Its run the other day at the Gold Coast was very impressive. It got back. It was one of those days when all the leaders were winning and he came from last and whipped around the field in the worst part of the going. He ran home and finished third. That was the race where he caught my eye and I rang up straight away to try and get on it, you know, so I could win on it.

“No the draw was no problem. The only thing that really worried me was when Christian Reith’s horse broke down in front of me. I had to go up and around it and then back in. It was one of those situations where it could have brought me down, but it was one of the lucky ones. It’s a fine line.


Race 7:

Class 4 Handicap - 1800m. Time: 1-53.34. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Our Heart; 2 Three Tenors; 3 Lord Rupert.

Our Heart scored his second win in his last three starts, coming from the rear of the field to run over the top of all of his rivals in the final dash to the line. It was a particularly good ride from a particularly good rider. Damian Browne was patient when conserving his mounts energy early on.

He remained completely unhurried as Our Heart quickened from a long way off them and the duo, working in harmony (in spite of reported wanting to lay in), produced a finely timed finish to snare Three Tenors in the final few strides.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Whittington: “He is a good horse, but he just has to learn to do things right, you know. He’s got lots of ability, but he is just taking a long time to put it together. The way they ran the race in his last start (which was his only poor effort in recent times) was the biggest problem. They went slow. He was back and had nowhere to go and he was fighting the rider. He couldn’t get room in the straight until it was all over, you know. He scored a good enough win in the race before that. People think he might be a wet tracker, but he’s not. It doesn’t matter what the ground is. He’s just got a lot of natural talent. All I said to Damian (Browne) was don’t dig him out. Let him settle, because he’s got an enormous finish on him if you let him settle. It worked out good.”

Jockey Damian Browne (who became the third rider to complete a double on the day): “He’s got a couple of bad tendencies, so I let him do his own thing early in the run. They were going a pretty nice clip, so I wasn’t panicking too much. I mean he won in town two starts ago. Not many of those horses there could do that. It was just a matter of getting a clear run from the half-mile. He was able to do that and, yeah, he came home well.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Our Heart was inclined to lay in under pressure for the majority of the straight, resulting in its rider being unable to fully test his mount


Race 8:

Class 2 Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-12.22. Track: Dead 4. Rail: Out 9m.
1 Sword Of Damocles; 2 Larry’s Song; 3 Unconquerable.

Sword Of Damocles showed early speed to take up a prominent position and, when he was going to be trapped out wide, Tony Pattillo urged his mount forward to go up and contest the lead. The gelding matched motors with The Noble House at the head of affairs until Pattillo asked his mount for that little bit extra at the 300m. By the 180m Sword Of Damocles had dropped The Noble House, but the job was still not done. Other challengers emerged to threaten the result, but Sword Of Damocles would not be denied as he maintained a strong enough effort to take the honours.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jackie Crompton: “He just didn’t have a lot of luck in his races ... the last three or four starts. We didn’t want to fight him today. We just wanted to let him roll along and see what he wanted to do. So we weren’t unhappy when he made the early move. He made us sweat a bit in the end, but we got there. So, yeah, it’s a bit of a relief.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer S. Ryan and apprentice M. Hellyer were questioned regarding the riding tactics adopted on Steady Poplar, in particular his apparent lack of vigour between the 500m and 300m. Trainer S. Ryan stated that he had instructed apprentice Hellyer to ride the horse in a forward position and not to pressure Steady Poplar too early as he felt the horse would not be able to sustain a long run to the finish. Apprentice Hellyer confirmed these instructions, however added that after beginning awkwardly and sustaining interference during the early stages he found himself further back in the field than he had anticipated, and then was unable to improve until near the 500m. Stewards noted apprentice Hellyer's explanation, however advised him that, in their opinion, his ride lacked initiative in that when in a position further back than anticipated he showed a lack of initiative by failing to place Steady Poplar under pressure sooner than he did. A post race veterinary examination of Steady Poplar failed to reveal any abnormalities.

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