EF SEPT 12 - ATTALLUS CAUSES BOILOVER

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

Eagle Farm, September 12, 2009.
Open Handicap - 1600m. Time: 2-18.04.
Track - Good 3. Rail - Out 3m.
1 Attalus; 2 Jujulio; 3 Chilled.

Attallus, neglected in the betting at 26-1, caused a boilover when he arrived with a flourish over the last 100m win a little more comfortably than the official long-neck margin suggests.

Jockey Danny Craven took the four-year-old back at the start and the rider was content to sit third last, hard against the rail, some six lengths off the Chilled who was keen to lead early.

Uncle Jan and Grand Corso took on Chilled early in the sweep to the turn and Jussemi went up to make a line of four as the pace quickened appreciably just before straightening. Craven now also had Attalus moving sweetly as he switched the gelding off the rail in preparation to launching his challenge.

Third last and five wide as he hit the straight, Attalus still had it all to do, but he quickly called on the reserves he had saved early in the contest to start his charge into contention. By halfway up the straight, the horse Attalus had to get to was Jujulio who appeared with a strong run down the city of the track, looking a likely winner.

As Attalus built momentum, it became apparent that he would be good enough to take the measure of Jujulio if he could sustain his effort to the line, and that is just what he did to claim win number three from thirteen starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Danny Bougoure: “I was going to give him a break, but I don’t know now. He should have won at the (Gold) coast (when finishing in second place, beaten by head in his last start). He slipped at the start and drew bad and had to go forward in the start before that. So he has just had no luck, mate.

“I gave him a chance today but, he is only a Class 2 horse in an Open so you couldn’t get too excited. I’ve always felt that he would stay (Attalus stepped up from 1800m to 2200m here). We tried riding him forward ... then Stathi (Katsidis) rode him one day and he said, you should ride this horse back. From then on we have.

“Hasn’t had much luck. He was a scratched from a Class 4 at Ipswich on Thursday. He had a bad draw there and 58kg. This was a harder race, but all went according to plan today.

Jockey Danny Craven: “Well, he is racing well and these horses keep going around week after week. It was a good run last start. He got back that day too. He got home well. When he hit the front I thought he was going to win but the other horse (Siong Tee) just kicked back and beat him on the line. I was disappointed. Today he has made up for it. He was very impressive. He was a lot better than last start. I put him in with a chance and he won a lot better than I actually thought he would.

“Yeah, I knew I had plenty under me coming to the corner that’s why I searched out for a run. You know, take a run on the inside and you could get blocked. He was travelling really well so I thought I would get him to the outside and have a clear run. It worked out good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Attallus): 21.00 out to 26.00.
Favourite (Chilled): 2.50 out to 2.30.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rounding the first turn, Chilled (S. Katsidis) was inclined to lay out. Passing the 1800m, Chilled shifted towards the rail and Clavillo (C. McIver) had to be steadied. For some distance near the 1400m, Clavillo was inclined to over-race at the heels of Chilled.

Near the 1300m when the pace slowed, Uncle Jan (M. Hellyer) shifted out off the heels of Yield Curve (L. Cassidy). Jujulio (C. Reith) then improved to the inside of Uncle Jan and when Uncle Jan shifted back slightly, Jujulio had to be steadied and shifted in, tightening Attalus.

Attalus was inclined to lay in under pressure over the concluding stages. Clavillo bled during the event. Trainer R. Dodd will be advised that the horse will be barred from racing for a period of three months.

Stewards questioned trainer R. Heathcote and apprentice O. Turpin in relation to the disappointing performance of Bell Academy, which did not finish the race off as expected. O. Turpin stated that the horse had travelled well and as the tempo of the race had been reasonable he elected to go forward from the 600m, however Bell Academy was under pressure on straightening and did not finish the race off.

Trainer R. Heathcote agreed that the horse was disappointing, adding that he had instructed O. Turpin to ride Bell Academy back in the field, as is its normal pattern, and did indicate to him that if the pace did slow he had the option to go forward, as the horse did at its previous start when a winner at Doomben. When questioned as to this aspect, O. Turpin stated that when the pace did slow in the middle stages he noticed that Uncle Jan had proceeded forward and as he felt that horse would improve the tempo he elected to remain at the tail of the field.

Trainer R. Heathcote advised stewards he intended to have pathology tests carried out and should there be any abnormality he would notify stewards. A post race veterinary examination of Bell Academy failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

Craven