SCST SEPT 06 - CAUSUS’S BOLD FIRST-UP SHOWING

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Sunshine Coast, September 6, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 1 Handicap (4yo and up) - 1000m. Time: 58.93.
1 Caucus; 2 Ethbaal; 3 Miss Joburg.

The John Fleming trained Causus came back strong after a ten month layoff. The lightly raced five-year-old (who was only having his fifth start) finished in determined fashion to round up his opposition and win with something in hand at double figure odds.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Fleming: “Yeah I’ve had him all the time. He had a bit of a floating chip on his knee after his last start and we took that out and just gave him five ... six months off. It was a patience game. The horse has always been able to gallop. He’s just has a few little problems.

“The (wide) draw did complicate our task a little bit. But it’s a nice track ... a big open track ... one corner, so we just decided to come here and let him run his own race. The blinkers came off because I didn’t think they were necessary. He trialled good without them, so I took them off.”

Jockey Christian Reith: “He trials good. He’s been working good. No, he won well today. Nice and fresh. He needed luck from that (wide) draw and he got it.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT
Sheemon was declared a late scratching at 9.42 am due to personal reasons as advised by trainer Mr R. Drysdale. Stewards accepted the explanation.

At the start, the inside barrier gate of Craiglea Supreme sprung back, causing that horse to shift out, making contact with Azzmy Witness. Subsequently after viewing the start of this race, stewards noted that the outside barrier gate of stall 7 and the inside barrier gate of stall 8 both failed to catch properly. This was reported to the starter, Mr R. Huxham, to take appropriate action to rectify the problem.

Causus (C. Reith) jumped outwards at the start, making contact with Ethbaal (B. Pengelly), which in turn shifted out, brushing Warbrik (B. Thomson). Heza Outlaw (O. Turpin) blundered on jumping away. Azzmy Witness (M. Heagney) attempted to buck shortly after the start, resulting in that runner being eased out of the event and taking no effective part in the race. Trainer P. Blackwell was advised that Azzmy Witness must trial to the satisfaction of the stewards prior to being permitted to race again.

Heza Outlaw (O. Turpin) had to be steadied off the heels of Alexandre (M. Wood) near the 600m. Leaving the 200m, Heza Outlaw (O. Turpin) had to be steadied and alter course to void the heels of the tiring Craiglea Supreme (A. Kitson). Causus (C. Reith), Sailon Silvergirl (R. Hinricks) and Trail Of Secrets (J. Bowditch) all raced wide for the majority of the event.