IPSW AUG 20 - DOUBLE FOR WAKEFIELD

By Graham Potter | Monday, August 24, 2009

Trainer Brian Wakefield brought two horses to Ipswich and went home with two winners after Papal Joy and Gigandra confirmed the betting support had been spot on by winning the last two races on the card. Both runners started as favourite.

Papal Joy is a far better horse than her record of one win from fourteen starts suggested going into the race and she reasserted herself here with absolute authority to claim the spoils while Gigandra made it two wins from his last three starts as he toughed it out in a pressurised run home to add a second notch onto his belt.


Ipswich, August 20, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1.5m.
Class 3 (Legacy Cup) - 1666m. Time: 1-40.88.
1 Papal Joy; 2 Rock Slide; 3 Elsquare.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Wakefield: “We aimed her probably a little bit high during the carnival ... but she really had a really chequered preparation for that. She had a few little foot problems and different things that went wrong ... and things just sort of didn’t go as we would have liked.

“In doing that she probably learnt a few bad habits the way she was racing. She was sort of racing up on the bit a bit too aggressively, so we just had to do a bit of remedial work with her and drop her back ... that’s why we dropped her back to the 1350m last start, just to teach her to race off the pace and get to the line. She just likes a truly run race and today she relaxed well and let down well and that’s the main thing.”

Jockey Brad Pengelly: “Brian explained to me that she likes to be patiently ridden. That’s the way we rode her. The pace was run at a genuine speed and she really appreciated it. So I went forward from the three, just sort of within herself, and she just carried on and won the race quite nicely, you know.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Papal Joy): 2.20 out to 2.40.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Master Hugh (A. Pattillo) began awkwardly. Rock Slide (C. Reith) raced wide in the early stages. Kinsmate (G. Geran) was held up for clear running leaving the 400m and again near the 100m. Chi Chi Grande (A. Spinks) raced wide for the majority of the event. Elsquare (G. Colless) was inclined to lay out for the majority of the event.

A post race veterinary examination of Hell Week, which compounded in the straight, revealed the horse to be lame in the off-foreleg. Trainer G. Wells was advised that a veterinary clearance would be required for Hell Week prior to its next race start.


Ipswich, August 20, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1.5m.
Class 1 Handicap - 2150m. Time: 2-16.63.
1 Gigandra; 2 Fleet Affair; 3 Way North.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Wakefield: “I got the hood off him today. He just wanted to over-race a bit his last few starts. He is probably a horse that is going to need blinkers eventually but he was just starting to head down the wrong path with them, you know, so they came off.

“He did show a bit of character in the finish which is always good. Every time he went forward something else went forward and got inside of him. He is a game little horse ... an honest little fellow. He’s only missed a cheque once in his career. I think he has probably found his niche at the journey. He had to carry 58kg today so it was a pretty good effort really. He is a trier - that’s the main thing.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Gigandra): 2.30 in to 2.10.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fearless Hero was declared a late scratching at 12.54 pm after the trainer reported that the gelding had injured itself when being transported to the course. Fleet Affair (N. Thomas) and Daylight Dance (N. Evans) were slow to begin.

French Venture (J. Murphy) over-raced in the early stages and when being restrained on the turn out of the straight, threw its head in the air. Nassavette (L. Rolls), which was following, had to be steadied as a consequence and shifted wider on the track, forcing Daylight Dance (N. Evans) wider on the track to a point leaving the 1200m. Nasavette (L. Rolls) over-raced in the middle stages. Gigandra (B. Pengelly) had a tendency to lay in under pressure over the concluding stages. Room Two Sister (M. Speers) raced wide throughout.

On return to scale, Fleet Affair collapsed due to a fatal cardio vascular incident. Stewards invoked AR142 in order to declare correct weight.

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