BRC AUG 08 - SANDERSON, FROM ROGUE TO GENTLEMAN

By Graham Potter | Monday, August 10, 2009

Trainer Kelly Doughty was so overcome with emotion watching Sanderson score his first win in only his third start that she was unable to shout the horse home as per her usual spirited involvement when a horse of hers fights out the finish.

The tear in her eye had plenty to do with the fact that the lightly raced Sanderson was repaying the work Doughty put into the horse in an effort to turn the three-year-old from a rogue into a gentleman. Add in the fact that Sanderson only got to the front in the last couple of strides in a nail-biter and it all made for a stirring finale to this 3yo QTIS Handicap.

Sanderson jumped well to land in second behind the Starling Pleasure. Jockey Michael Cahill then allowed Sanderson to come back to him and the duo went back to third mid-race and then held fourth position two-wide on the turn. Throughout this preliminary sparring, Cahill ensured that Sanderson was just off the speed, always ready to strike.

When it came, the push for glory was no instant success. Cahill had to coax his horse into battle. He had to be patient while it built momentum, but he began closing on the game Starling Pleasure when it mattered most and, in spite of Startling Pleasure trying to kick back, Sanderson arrived on cue to score an inch perfect victory.

Eagle Farm, Saturday, August 8, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
3yo QTIS Handicap - 1500m. Time: 1-32.14.
1st - Sanderson; 2nd - Startling Pleasure; 3rd - Pharonic.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Doughty: “Blinkers went on today for the first time. The owner bought him at one of these Magic Millions sales not so long ago. He was a very, very cheap horse ... something like $1600.

“We got the horse and he was just in very poor condition. Got him, put him straight out in the paddock for eight weeks ... brought him back. He was actually quite a mad horse when we got him back. The first day Gary (Doughty) got on him down the corridor he just took off at a hundred miles an hour up the road. It was quite scary.

“Anyway, we ended up sending him to a guy at Outback Australia who re-mouthed him and put some gear on him for ten days. You know Matt Spriggs, an apprentice I used to have, he works at Outback Australia. He and his friend took the horse. He needed those ten days to sort the horse out because he was absolutely mad. We got him back again and now he is now the most beautiful horse ... still a colt. We still had work to do with him when we got him back, but at least he didn’t want to take off into the fence anymore ... because he was dangerous. He was a very, very dangerous horse. He’s a lovely horse now.

“We’ll probably head for another QTIS race in a couple of weeks time.”

Jockey Michael Cahill: “Yeah, he was very unruly to start off with. I didn’t like the sound of him when Gary (Doughty) first asked me to ride. I rode him track-work before I rode him here the other day (in his previous start). They’ve done a good job with him. He is quite tractable now ... not one hundred percent, but he is on his way. He’s is only a young horse, but he is promising. He’ll run a mile-and-a-quarter I think. He could be a nice staying type three-year-old.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sanderson): 9.00 out to 10.00 in to 7.50.
Favourite (Just A Piccolo): 3.40 out to 3.70. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After arriving at the barrier it was noted that Cleats was bleeding from the mouth as a result of having loosened a tooth. Bellavonane (S. Drake) stood flat-footed as the start was effected and lost considerable ground. Trainer G. Cornish said that Bellavonane would be immediately spelled and before racing again he gave an assurance that it would be trialled. Just A Piccolo (M. Hellyer) was slow to begin.

J. Byrne (Panningen) said that in the straight he did have an opportunity of improving to the inside of Startling Pleasure but elected not to do so and attempted a run between that horse and Pharonic, but near the winning post was disappointed for running when right on the heels of Startling Pleasure. As a consequence of this he was not able to ride Panningen out to the winning post as he normally would and had he been able to do so he thought he may have run third.

G. Colless (Apuckshunubbee) said that the horse travelled only satisfactorily in the run and when put under pressure in the straight was inclined to hang in and was disappointing.

After the race it was noted that Just A Piccolo was sore in its near-hind leg. Before the horse can race again a veterinary certificate of fitness will have to be produced.