BRC AUG 8 - TEARS’N’CHEERS WINS FIRST-UP

By Graham Potter | Monday, August 10, 2009

The Alan Bailey trained Cheers’N’Tears scored an encouraging win first-up following a two month break from action.

The gelding’s start was only ordinary and he raced towards the rear of the field for most of the run to the home turn. Jockey Scott Seamer elected to continue to save ground along the inside as the majority of the field fanned wide on straightening and he quickly moved into contention.

Seething Duck got first run on the Tears’N’Cheers and the latter had to work hard to reel Seething Duck, who was in full cry inside the final 200m, but Tears’N’Cheers gradually gained the upper hand in this two way battle to edge clear inside the final 75m to secure the third victory of his career.

Eagle Farm, Saturday, August 8, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 6 Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-10.86.
1st -Tears'N'Cheers; 2nd - Seething Duck; 3rd - Pub Torque.

Trainer Alan Bailey: “He is a bit hard to handle. He is a little bit field-shy. He hasn’t run that much (fifteen starts). He just didn’t come up last prep (when unplaced and soundly beaten in five starts). He was never a hundred percent and just didn’t come to the fore. We gave him a break and he’s come back good now.

‘In his prep before that he only got beaten two lengths in the Golden Rose last year. He missed the start and was pushed off the track. He was about ten deep on the corner. He flew home and was not that far behind the winner. His run against a lot better horses than this, you know. I thought after his trial the other day (which Tears’n’Çheers won at the Gold Coast) that he would be hard to beat in a race like this. We’ve just brought him back slowly to give him a bit of a chance.”

Jockey Scott Seamer: “He didn’t shine in his last preparation after showing early promise, but what people have got to remember is that they are athletes and they have niggly problems and sometimes their preparations aren’t as good as some people would like.

“He is a horse that gets back in his races. Alan (Bailey) knew that and he said, just be patient on him. He said get to the outside. He doesn’t like horses around him, but the way the tracks playing everyone wanted to get off the fence. So I just went back to the inside and he was just ‘happy as Larry’ with no horses around him there and he got to the line quite well ... and won well.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Tears’n’Cheers): 6.50 out to 7.00 in to 5.00.
Favourite (Cat Eyes): 4.20 out to 4.40. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start was delayed due to the bridle on Seething Duck breaking. A replacement was affixed to Seething Duck which then took its place in the barriers. Millers Wheel had to be steadied shortly after the start between Pub Torque and His Boy Elroy, both of which shifted ground slightly. Seething Duck raced ungenerously for a short distance leaving the 1000m. Cat Eyes raced wide for the majority of the event.

S. Katsidis (Pub Torque) said that on occasions during the race the horse, to him, appeared to lose interest, got its head on the side, raced ungenerously and hung out. He said after the race he did suggest to the trainer it may be wise to consider adding some gear to the horse.

Post-race veterinary examinations of Stolit and Heart failed to reveal any abnormalities.