EF AUG 19 - FIRST CITY DOUBLE FOR MITCHELL SPEERS

By Graham Potter | Friday, August 21, 2009

Eagle Farm. August 19, 2009.
Track -Good 3. Rail - out 7m.
Class 4 Handicap - 1500m. Time: 1-30.61.
1 Sirena Ligera; 2 Mossvana; 3rd - Costa Mucho.

Trainer Liam Birchley and rider Mitchell Speers completed race to race wins at Eagle Farm when Sirena Ligera went to the line well to land the fourth win of her career. The result gave apprentice jockey Speers his first Metropolitan double.

Sirena Ligera and Bearhart Gold took a reasonable compact field along early with Speers ensuring that he did enough for Sirena Ligera to hold the rail run. On straightening, Bearhart Gold was quickly under pressure and Sirena Ligera took the opportunity to steal a march on her rivals.

Mossvana and Cash In A Hurry threatened briefly and Costa Mucho arrived with when it was all over but, once she had hit the front, Sirena Ligera’s commitment kicked in as she stayed on strongly enough to keep all challenges at bay.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Mitchell Speers: “That’s my first city double (Calm Before and Serena Ligera). I did ride a treble at Doomben on Toowoomba Cup day but that was classed as a provincial meeting.

“Yeah, she was pulling in her races before. Thought she’d be better today, but she started pulling again. As soon as she got away from the field she switched right off. She was happy to bowl along in front and then she just toughed it out in the finish. She might even get further on that showing.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sirena Ligera): 3.60 out to 3.80.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sports Academy was declared a late scratching at 2.50 pm by order of the stewards. Costa Mucho (A. Pattillo) was a little slow to begin. Life’s Short (K. Pope), Secret Request (C. Reith) and Chelle’s Alibi raced wide throughout.

App M. Speers, rider of Sirena Ligera, was reprimanded under AR137A(5) for striking his horse in excess of the permitted amount in consecutive strides in the final 200m.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey D. Brown, rider of Cash In Hurry, regarding his apparent failure to ride his mount right out to the finish line. D. Brown explained that at a point near the 150m, Cash In A Hurry became awkward and shifted ground, and he became concerned with the horse's action. D. Brown further added that after he tested the horse inside the 100m for some distance thereafter he again harboured concerns for the horse's action, and in the light of this made a decision not to ride the gelding to the finish line with his usual vigour. After taking into account D. Brown's explanation was supported by the race day footage, and the fact that jockey Brown had reported his concerns immediately after the race during the course of the weigh-in, stewards accepted his explanation.