EF SEPT 12 - BLUE JUPITER SCORES IN TIGHT FINISH

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

Eagle Farm, September 12, 2009.
1MW Handicap - 1000m. Time: 1-10.12
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
1 Blue Jupiter; 2 Hesashow; 3 Mazuka.

The Liam Birchley trained Blue Jupiter scored the fifth win of his career when scoring in a tight finish under an astute ride from jockey Paul Hammersley.

Hammersley held the chestnut back worse than midfield in the first half of the race. The rider ensured that the five-year-old made maximum use of his favourable inside draw by staying hard on the rail for the duration of the trip. He was able to save ground in the sweep to the turn but, on straightening, he still had plenty of work to do as Hesashow and Another Takeover continued to do battle at the head of affairs.

At the 200m Another Takeover shifted out under pressure and Hesashow sprinted into what appeared to be a race winning lead. Blue Jupiter had responded when asked to quicken by Hammersley and the gelding gradually started to make up ground with Mazuka hard on his heels, following his every move. By the 100m mark, this chasing duo were in full cry after Hezashow and closing ground fast. Hammersley steadfastly refused the leave the fence, which would have cost him ground, forcing that option on Mazuka.

Hezashow kicked bravely and Mazuka finished with a flourish, but it Hammersley’s rail-hugging ride that carried the day as Blue Jupiter got up to win by a narrow margin.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Paul Hammersley: “My instructions were to be in the second half of the field and they said, when I thought it was time to go I can attack. So I did.

“There was room there (on the rail) before I got there. Then, once I sort of committed myself to the run, it closed slowly. I gave Tony (Pattillo, the rider of Hesashow) a bit of a call and I had to sort of push through there. He was held tight up against the rail by Hezashow but I was pretty confident. If I had a clear run the last 100m... liked fully clear, if I didn’t get bumped ... I probably could have won by half-a-length. In the circumstances, the horse won pretty well. He made me look good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Blue Jupiter): 15.00 out to 16.00 in to 13.00.
Equal favourite (Citiwyse): 4.40 out to 5.00.
Equal favourite (Eripsne): 5.00 steady.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Slugsbrothernugget (B. El-Issa) was slow to begin. Another Takeover (L. Rolls), Citiwyse (O. Turpin), Mr Heartbreaker (L. Cassidy) were all caught wide on the first turn and obliged to race wide for the majority of the event.

After leaving the 900m, His Boy Elroy (D. Craven) commenced to hang out and the horse continued to do so and near the 700m the horse proved difficult to control due to its tendency to shift on to the heels of Eripsni (R. Wiggins).

O. Turpin reported that Citiwyse, which raced without cover, was inclined to hang out particularly in the middle stages and it wasn't until straightening that the horse raced tractably, and finished the race off well. Near the finish line, Blue Jupiter, after initially being cramped by Hesashow (A. Pattillo), shifted out and brushed Hesashow. Stewards will interview trainer J. Wallace at a later date concerning the racing manners of His Boy Elroy.