EF SEPT 12 - BACK TO BACK WINS FOR KENTISH ROSE

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, September 14, 2009

Eagle Farm, September 12.
Class 6 Handicap - 1600m. Time: 1-35.60.
Track - Good 3. Rail out 3m.
1 Kentish Rose; 2 Puccini; 3 Papal Joy.

Jockey Larry Cassidy settled Kentish Rose in fourth spot, one out, two lengths off the lead until edging closer on the approach to the turn. The leader Puccini attempted to kick away on straightening and Cassidy switched Kentish Rose wider and he wasted little time in setting the six-year-old after the front-runner.

Puccini wasn’t about to give ground away easily though and Kentish Rose had to show some commitment to stick to her task and slowly the reward for that effort came into focus as the mare ranged up alongside Puccini and edged ahead when it mattered most to claim her second-win-in-a-row.

Puccini kept second spot ahead of the main fancy Papal Joy, who ran on well enough all the way down the straight without being able to find the extra gear required to pressure the winner.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “You know what mares are like when they find form. She only went up 1kg and Larry (Cassidy) is riding in such supreme form at the moment. Mares are like that. The guy in the Best Bets said it was a mystery why all of a sudden she has got back to her form ... and she’s won over 1800m.

“It’s not a mystery to be. The tongue-tie ... ever since I put a tongue-tie on her, these mares ... they do learn tricks as they get older. I couldn’t work out why she wasn’t hitting the line when she was working so well and it has just done the trick. Hence the reason why she’s strung these wins together, in fact ... the three runs before she started winning, when she ran fourth ... she should have won. She was flying home and two more strides she wins.

“She’s had the tongue-tie on the last half-dozen runs and it’s turned her around. I actually think she will get further, but at this stage we’ll leave her where she is and enjoy the spoils.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “Look, the other day she was really dominant but I think this race this race was obviously a better class ... a better horse in it anyway. She still won well. You know mares when they hold their form. Yeah, maybe she might be winning another one.

“As a jockey it certainly helps when you are getting on the right horses. It helps you hold your form. I lobbed her into a nice spot. I obviously had the run of the race. I didn’t actually travel that well ... a couple of times I had to stoke her up a little bit ... and she found plenty. All honour to her. She is racing in good form.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Puccini): 4.40 in to 3.90.
Favourite (Papal Joy): 2.25 out to 2.50. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Our Heart (J. Taylor) jumped away awkwardly and missed the start. Near the 1200m, Turn And Burn (A. Erhart), which was over-racing, improved onto the heels of Pit Lane(S. Katsidis) and then shifted out across the heels of Kentish Rose (L. Cassidy), forcing Khairesprit (C. Reith) wider on the track.

Passing the 1000m, Khairesprit shifted back to assume a position one wide, and Riseupsinging had to be steadied to avoid heels at that stage. Near the 250m, The Cavern Club (C. McIver) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Kentish Rose (L. Cassidy), which shifted in when not fully clear. L. Cassidy, rider of Kentish Rose, was severely reprimanded. Papal Joy (M. Cahill) was inclined to lay in under pressure over the concluding stages.