EF SEPT 12 - SECTAGONAL SHOWS HIS OLD BITE

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

Eagle Farm, September 12, 2009.
1MW Handicap - 1000m. Time: 0.57.28.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
1 Sectagonal; 2 Pelltro; 3 Monashee Knight.

The Brett Bellamy trained Sectagonal, a last start winner at Ballina, made it two-in-a-row when he lasted just long enough to thwart the late challenges of the faster finishing duo of Pelltro and Monashee Knight - who dead-heated for second - to claim the eleventh win of his career and push his stake earnings past the $300000 mark.

Sectagonal powered his way into the lead early. He held his advantage under a relatively tight hold until early in the straight when apprentice jockey Luke Rolls was obliged to get to work on the eight-year-old who responded well to the rider’s urgings.

The gelding needed every inch of the effort he put in as Pelltro and Monashee Knight threatened his superiority and the post came just in time for Sectagonal to seal the result by a diminishing long-head margin.

Sectagonal was Luke Rolls’ second win on the day. The young rider scored earlier on the card with Fasliyev Dancer.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brett Bellamy: “Yeah lovely win. Oh mate, he’s an old horse. He’s been honest and everything else. In the past he’s come up here with wet tracks and bad barriers and all that sort of stuff. We’ve had a few things come to the fore today. We fixed up a few of his problems ... just old wear and tear problems. We finally figured all them out. So you know, it’s good to finally have a bit of joy.

“The win in Ballina (in his previous start) was lovely. He had them a long way from home. That gave him that little bit of confidence today ... back on a good track ... a perfect ride by Luke (Rolls). All things came into play today, so it was really good.

“Mate, the track had me worried because it hasn’t been the best, you know, in recent weeks. It had me a little bit worried, but I spoke to the boys earlier and they said it is the best it has been in a long time. So, you know, we were confident once we found out the track was in good order.

Jockey Luke Rolls: “Yeah, it was a good win at Ballina and I thought if he runs like that he is definitely going to be in it. He takes a little while to wind up, but once he musters speed he can accelerate pretty quickly. he’s just getting a bit old now and it just takes him a while to back in the swing of things.

“I knew coming to the home turn I had a heap of horse underneath me and I knew if I could just get a good break on the corner I’d be alright.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sectagonal): 9.00 out to 12.00.
Equal favourite (Kelly): 3.50 out to 3.80.
Equal favourite (Monashee Knight): 4.40 in to 3.80.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Monashee Knight (S. Katsidis) was slow to begin. Kelly (S. Seamer) jumped away awkwardly and made contact with Cardio (M. Hellyer). Kelly then shifted out, forcing Cardio out on to Meet George (P. Hammersley). Shortly after the start, Myndos (B. Pengelly) had to be checked when tightened for room between Rubic (B. El-Issa), which shifted in slightly, and Meet George, which was taken out slightly by Cardio, which in turn was taken out by Kelly (S. Seamer) which jumped awkwardly.

Near the 700m, Upilio (C. McIver), when taking a trail behind Sectagonal (L. Rolls), shifted out from behind its heels, making contact with Presley (M. Cahill), forcing it out on to Pelltro (D. Browne), which also shifted out on to Kelly, which had to be steadied. Upilio was inclined to lay out rounding the home turn.

Myndos was held up for clear running in the early stages of the straight, and also near the 100m had to be steadied when it improved on to the heels of Presley. Kelly raced four wide for the majority of the event.