SEVEN DAYS (THE WEDNESDAY REPORT): THE WEEKLY REVIEW (MARCH 26 - APRIL 1) - PART A

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, April 2, 2014

HRO's news and commentary feature - SEVEN DAYS (THE WEDNESDAY REPORT) - provides a weekly review of racing activity, both on and off the track.

ANOTHER LANDMARK SUCCESS FOR TEGAN HARRISON:

Tegan Harrison scored a landmark victory at Doomben last Saturday. Her win on the Helen Page trained Rudy was Harrison’s eightieth metropolitan win which means Harrison has now outridden her city apprentice allowance.

Harrison is the first female apprentice to achieve this milestone with the limit set to eighty wins. Kathy O'Hara, Michelle Payne, Lacey Morrison and Alana Sansom are other female jockeys who form the elite club of those who have outridden their city allowances, but these four riders all did it when the limit was sixty winners.

Harrison is no stranger to success. Last season she broke Lacey Morrison’s record for the most Metropolitan winners in a season in Brisbane while walking away with the Metropolitan Apprentice Premiership. Then, at RQ’s awards night, she also collected the RQ Gold award … a new award set up to honour exceptional achievement.

In the season prior to that Harrison won the Apprentice Premierships at the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Ipswich and also for Provincial Queensland. In fact in that season she rode the most winners for the season of any apprentice in the country.

Life wasn’t always so productive though. Writing in her personal blog on HRO last February Harrison stated, “I was learning all the way, but I didn’t learn fast. In fact, things started off pretty ordinary. I had to go all the way to Mt Isa to get a kick-along.

“When I came back from Mt Isa I had only ridden two winners from twenty odd rides. Most of the kids starting out had ridden a winner in their first five rides and it had taken me longer. I seem to be the one that was not going as well as the others.

“I was ringing up for rides and everyone was saying …. no, no, no! I was basically fighting on two fronts … trying to learn to ride and trying to get rides. Times were tough.”

But focus, determination and support from those close to her kept Harrison in the game. In fact there was no more hard working rider as she set about conquering her goals and the much needed improvement came, slowly at first and then seemingly with something like a rush when she made her presence felt on the big stage.

That early struggle has left Harrison with her feet firmly planted on the ground with regard to her career. Again from that February blog, “It doesn’t matter what record you have or where you are placed on the ladder you still have to get up and go to the races again the next day and keep marching on. There’s no future in being distracted by what you have already achieved.

“You get tested all the time as a rider on so many different levels and every time you have to take the next step it is quite daunting.

“Coming to town was a tough transition for me. At the Gold Coast I knew the riders around me and their way of riding. They were good riders but then I went to town where suddenly I was up against all the really classy riders in the state. They think quicker than you and there’s a lot of hard work involved in trying to get up to their level so that you can actually compete against them.

“Once you get through that there is always another step so, while I did start off doing it tough, that hardship I think helps keep me grounded and the best thing about it is that I will never take success for granted. It didn’t come easy … and it is not going to be easy to keep it going.”

That attitude gives you a solid lead as to how Harrison will cope to life without a claim, a tough transition that all riders have to pass through as it brings a whole new challenge.

As Harrison says, success can be fleeting, but she remains an absolute example of what can be achieved against the odds through pure hard work and, as such, she deserves every plaudit she receives for her outstanding contribution to the game.

DUBAI ‘PROTEST’: SHORT LIVED, LONG REMEMBERED!

The cameras took you behind the scenes at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night for the Dubai World Cup meeting and armchair jockeys were thus able to get a close-up view of probably one of the most extraordinary ‘protest’ hearings in modern times.

The degree of interference suffered by the second placed Cavalry Man (the 7-4 favourite), who ultimately only just failed to overhaul the 33-1 winner Certernach in the Dubai Gold Cup, seemed to be significant and it was no surprise when jockey Silvestre de Sousa lodged an objection claiming that Certerach had impeded his mount at a vital stage of the running.

At that stage most pundits would have had Cavalry Man odds on to complete the Dubai Gold Cup double (he won the race in 2013) … although there was still some cause for debate as to whether Cavalry Man, by getting his forequarters a third of a length into the gap between runners to the inside of Certernach, had indeed established a run or not and was he going well enough to make it stick, but the undeniable fact was that Certernach then leaned inward and continued to follow that path until he had completely taken up Calvary Man’s running.

The latter switched around Certernach’s heels, became unbalanced in doing so, recovered and started to run on strongly, failing by only a narrow margin to claim the result.

It looked like the arm wrestle would continue in the steward’s room and those proceedings duly got under way with de Sousa conforming he was happy to represent his connections in the inquiry in the initial absence of Cavalry man’s trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Saeed bin Suroor did arrive one minute into the inquiry while all parties were viewing the vision of the race. Another minute in and the trainer was distracted by somebody out of picture vision. That person then walked into the picture and whispered something in the trainer’s ear. Saeed bin Suroor then turns to the Chief Steward and said,” I’ve got two horses to saddle. I will leave it to you to decide.”

He then appears to leave the room but, a mere seven seconds later (you would assume having received some further advice) Saeed bin Suroor was back addressing the Chief Steward once again.

“I think we’re fine,” said bin Suroor.

“You’re fine. That’s ok,” said the Chief Steward.

“No, I mean … we stop the objection,” (bin Suroor).

“Just hang on. Are you withdrawing the objection?”
(Chief Steward).

“Yes.” (bin Surror).

“And you Mr de Sousa?” (Chief Steward).

(With a shrug): “He says yes. Yes”. (de Sousa). De Sousa knew better than to disobey the instruction he had been given.

And that, as they say in the classics, was that!
The ‘protest’ hearing had lasted a touch under three minutes, less than the record time of 3m 23.14 seconds it had taken to run the race. Maybe that established another record of its own.

Further insight into what had really transpired was given in the race review on the Godolphin website.

The article states, ‘Cavalry Man came through to challenge inside the final furlong and then the winner, Certerach, went across him from right to left. Silvestre de Sousa switched his mount to the right and Cavalryman finished well but the post came too soon for the Godolphin horse to win the Dubai Gold Cup for the second year running.’

Silvestre de Sousa is quoted as saying: "The winner came across me and I had to switch Cavalryman to the outside. It has cost me the race,” while John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to Godolphin's founder and driving force His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, explained: "Silvestre objected but Sheikh Mohammed decided the objection should be withdrawn as he didn't want to win a race like that."

That’s all very well and good for Godolphin. Sportsmanship is all well and good at the right time in the right place but, as strange as it might sound, in racing sportsmanship comes a poor second to overall fairness.

Even crediting all good intentions in this case, the hurried, awkward hearing did racing little favours on an occasion where racing showcases its product on a world stage.

Sheikh Mohammed has every right to live his life and make decisions according to his values. It is not his responsibility to enforce racing law. That burden rests with the stewards.

In this case, by not protesting themselves in spite of the pressure involved (whichever way the final outcome might have gone), they failed the system and, by so doing, helped write a most unusual chapter in the history of racing protests.

*For the record, in spite of that setback, Godolphin was crowned leading owner at the Dubai World Cup Carnival for a seventh consecutive year with 23 wins at the international festival. Saeed bin Suroor also gained a seventh successive trainers' championship courtesy of 17 victories, while Silvestre de Sousa took the leading jockey title for a second time with 13 wins, to add to his first Carnival championship success in 2013.

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SHORTS:

The ultimate outcome of the closely contested Brisbane Trainers’ Premiership will be influenced by several factors but that doesn’t diminish the touch of irony associated with Tony Gollan’s two winners this week which took him to the head of the table by one from his ever present rival Matthew Dunn. Gollan’s two winners were the appropriately named Lead The Way (Wednesday March 26) and Hijack Hussy (Saturday March 29). Who rode both winners? None other than Glen Colless, Matthew Dunn’s number one jockey!

Larry Cassidy, missing from the saddle for a period six weeks following a hernia operation, has bounced back well fresh. While he might still have to handle his body with extra care in the short term, the hunger for success has clearly been in evidence since his return. It took Cassidy less than a week to get back on the winning trail (and he was happy to go to Kilcoy to do that). In his last ten rides (starting with that Kilcoy win) Cassidy has saluted four times, including a double at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

Sunshine Coast based trainer Len Treloar continues to be a growing presence in the city. Generis Heart’s win was Treloar’s fourteenth city win of the season which has him firmly placed on the list of the top ten trainers in town and he is currently positioned in third place in terms of strike rate (14%) only headed by Matthew Dunn (20%) and Kelso Wood (18%). (Doomben March 26 – Race 3).

Unlike previous weeks stewards only handed one suspension this week … but it was a hefty one. Apprentice Brooke Richardson was given four months for what was deemed to be a well below standard ride on Raeburn on March 22. (See detailed explanation in Seven Days (The Weekly Review) – Part B.

Sometimes a particular result looks to be an easy find after the event … if only you had followed the prompts. On a plane with Tony Pattillo on the way to Mackay last Thursday I asked Pattillo how many rides he had. “Just one”, he said. Sequonis duly won at the reasonable odds of $3.60. (Mackay March 27 – Race 4).

Would you reckon this steward’s report notation perhaps lacked some information. ‘Stewards opened an inquiry into a complaint lodged by the Acting CEO of the Mackay Turf Club. The inquiry was adjourned to a time and date to be fixed.’ The omission of facts involved just opens the issue up to unnecessary debate and speculation. (Mackay March 27).

Still at Mackay, the word is auditors are in having a close look at the finances. If that is the case hopefully their findings will ultimately bring some closure to a difficult time for the club so that all can move on as they look to improve their financial situation. I’m not certain what the new CEO (when appointed) will be stepping into, but it is a worry that it is taking a while either for a willing candidate to put up their hand or for the committee to make a decision. (Mackay March 27).

It was a shame to lose the meeting at Gatton on Friday. As much as that was disappointing, some trainers told HRO they were grateful that the meeting was called off early so as to minimise any inconvenience that might have come into play had it been a race-day decision. (Gatton March 28).

Ouch! Approaching the winning post G. Colless (Hijack Hussy) was accidentally hit on the arm by the whip of K. Wharton (Executed). Oh, I forgot. Thank goodness it’s a padded whip. (Doomben March 29 - Race 1).

Le Cap fought on well under pressure in the closing stages to land his third win from five starts since relocating to the Darryl Hansen stable. “He’s a tryer,” explained Hansen. “He has a go every time. He can put himself into the race and make his own luck and the other big plus with him is he goes on any sort of track. It doesn’t matter where I take him … wet or dry … he seems to handle it.” (Doomben March 29 – Race 3).

Tegan Harrison’s double at Doomben not only saw her outride her claim but it also took her back into the lead in the Brisbane Apprentice’s Premiership. Harrison, the defending champion, is now one winner ahead of Anthony Allen with the weight-troubled Aiden Holt stuck five winners off the lead. * Aiden Holt is something of a lost talent as far as racing is concerned at this stage as evidenced by the fact that, going into Saturday’s meeting, Tegan Harrison had more than three times the number of rides than Holt in the city this season for only five more winners (336 rides to Holt’s 109 rides) and nobody, including senior riders, can boast a strike rate anywhere near the 20% recorded next to Holt’s name.

Harrison commented on her winners.
On Brave Ali: “I really want to thank Jess Drury. She works for Craig Martin. She called me and she told me a lot about the horse. Two hundred percent … she was spot-on. I rode the horse exactly the way she told me to ride him and it paid off. (Doomben March 29 – Race 4).

On Rudy: “I’ve waited a long time to get back on his back so I’m glad things turned out that way. I gave him his first two barrier trials as a baby and he was just very impressive. Unfortunately I was out when he first started in a race and Larry (Cassidy) obviously also knew he went well. It’s hard to get him off. He’s not just a wet weather horse (where his record now is four wins out of five starts). If you see some of his runs on firmer surfaces, they have been very good. He’s probably been unlucky not to win on some of those days.” (Doomben March 29 – Races 6).

Trainer Helen Page was delighted with Rudy’s performance. “The pattern of racing has been leaders today so I was a little bit worried but I thought the speed would be on. That suited him and he’s got a little bit of class which was able to carry him home. It’s fitting for Tegan (Harrison) to have a win on him. She rode him in his first trial and she’s driven me crazy for months to ride Rudy so it was particularly nice to be part of her eightieth win. (Doomben March 29 – Race 6).

Toowoomba based trainer Matt Kropp is certainly enjoying his time in the city with Kiss Me Deadly. The son of Snippetson made it back-to-back city wins when he proved too strong for his rivals under the confident guidance of Ruby Ride. “I’ve only had him this preparation but he was always a fairly honest horse for Rex (Lipp). I think his best form was always on wet tracks, so he’s probably going similar. Today we had eight kilos on the top weight. We were just positive with him and it came off. I’ve got to say what a difference it has made to my stable moving back to Toowoomba. It’s been terrific for us. It’s a great facility and it’s making a difference to us.” (Doomben March 29 – Race 5).

“He’ll win a good race during the Carnival,” was Kelso Wood’s post-race assessment of Benny’s Buttons. “I don’t know which races I’ll set him for yet. I might even get him to the Stradbroke.” You have been warned. (Doomben March 29 – Race 7).

Chris Munce gave his perspective of Benny’s Buttons’ win. “Big weight. Heavy track. A really good effort. Contrary to what some people think the heavy track might have actually played into his hands today a little bit more than others. Apart from the fact he handles it, he was very race fit today taking on a few up-and-comers who were lightly raced … but, either way, he was just too good.” (Doomben March 29 – Race 7).

The Kevin Kemp trained Kempelly made it four-in-a-row when he won at Toowoomba on Saturday night. The four-year-old was a dual entry but declined an opportunity to win his third successive start in town (where the track was rated a heavy 9) in favour of racing on his home track (which was rated a dead 4). The son of Immovable Object is now a seven-time winner from fifteen starts. (Toowoomba March 29 – Race 4).

Trainer Jim Bannon was in tune with the last race on the card on Saturday. Shortly after 4.45pm he was at Doomben to welcome his $4.60 winner Just A Perla back into the winner’s enclosure and some four hours later Bannon again saddled a last race winner when Just A Cracker saluted at Toowoomba. Not a bad day’s work! (Doomben March 29 – Race 8 and Toowoomba March 29 – Race 7).

Gemma Steele and Leslie Tilley shared the riding honours at Charleville. Each jockey rode a double on the five-race card. (Charleville March 29).

Tracy O’Hara landed a race-to-race treble at Emerald. Her wins came for three different stables with trainers Glenda Bell, Bill Trimble and Clinton Thompson producing the runners that carried O’Hara to success. (Emerald March 29).

Trainer Bevan Johnson and jockey Rodney Sue-San combined to take out the first three races at Longreach. Sue-San, who finished second in the fourth race, also had to settle for the runner-up position in the last when again piloting a Johnson trained runner. Johnson did not have a runner in the fourth race. (Longreach March 29).

Always happy to be winning wherever he is. Lyle Appo added a double to his name at Monto (Monto March 29).

Apprentices Tamara Tincknell and Cassie Kropp each scored a double at Mt Isa. (Mt Isa March 29).

The fondly remembered Group 1 winner Shoot Out was the ‘guest of honour’ at Mt Isa. In the grandstand a bar was named in his honour while out on the track Shoot Out performed an exhibition gallop during the afternoon. (Mt Isa March 29).

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