EF SEPT 05 - OPPOSITION STUMPED BY SECRETS UNTOLD

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, September 7, 2009

Eagle Farm, September 5, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1m.
Open Handicap - 1500m. Time: 1-30.49.
1 Secrets Untold; 2 Hume; 3 Crossthestart.

There is no mystery to the recent run of success of Secrets Untold.

The seven-year-old is talented and he clearly thrives on the challenge set for him by trainer Phillip Cox, who has got the gelding travelling as well as he has done. He is a happy horse getting top results.

Secrets Untold third win in a row was achieved with clear-cut authority.

Strong enough to be up with the speed, Secrets Untold settled just off the heels of the front-running Buzzy Henry to the turn. Then he was patient enough to take his time in running the leader down in the straight as jockey Owen Turpin saved Secrets Untold for the last 180m ... and then he was capable enough to let down with meaning when it mattered most to see off the challenges of Hume and Crossthestart, who went home with consolation prizes. It was a very solid win.

Secrets Untold is now a double-figure winner, having won ten of his 48 starts. He also has ten minor placings to his credit and earnings just shy of $250000.Not bad for a $22000 purchase!

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Phillip Cox: “Yeah, we were as confident as we could be. It’s hard when you’re coming down to three in a row. It’s been going good mate. He dropped back to 1500m today. There weren’t races around to suit him so we had to do it, you know. He was beautifully weighted in the race today. Today he carried 57kg. There’s a mile race in a fortnight. I think we will be going there, but he’s going get weight now, which will be a problem. That will be our biggest worry.

“He is a dream to train. He is just a quiet, lovely, beautiful animal ... just a lovely horse to have around, you know. I’d just like to have about three or four of them in the stable that’s all.

Jockey Owen Turpin: “He was just a little tardy. He sort of landed a half-length behind the rest of the field, but Mr Cox said to give him a punch out of the gates ... make sure he doesn’t relax because he can relax and drop right off the horse. It was the first time I’d ridden him today and he (trainer Phillip Cox) couldn’t have informed me about the horse any better.

“He picked up the bit and travelled lovely. It was just a matter of getting the run ... we got a lovely run down the inside and he fought on strong. I saw Hume coming down the outside, but I wasn’t too worried about anything coming from behind because we were coming home pretty strong.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Secrets Untold): 5.00 out to 5.50.
Equal favourite (Hume): 3.30 out to 4.20.
Equal favourite (Crossthestart): 3.20 out to 4.20.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
In Rehearsal (M. Cahill) and Secrets Untold (O. Turpin) were both slow to begin. Orkletsky bucked for some distance after the start and the horse was retired from the race. Connections were advised that the filly must trial satisfactorily prior to its next race start. Nevada Gambler (J. Taylor) dipped near the 300m.

Jockeys L. Cassidy (Kings Artist), M. Cahill (In Rehearsal) and apprentice jockey O. Turpin (Secrets Untold) were cautioned for raising their arm above their shoulder when using the whip over the concluding stages.

This And Crispy (C. Reith) choked down during the race. Trainer T. Hurley reported that the gelding got its tongue over the bit and may have choked down. He indicated that he would consider making application to add a tongue-tie to the gear of the gelding.

A post race veterinary examination of Nevada Gambler, failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. Crossthestart lost its near-hind plate in running.