DOOM SEPT 16 - END TO END WIN FOR SO DIFFERENT

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Doomben, September 16, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1.5m.
F&M Class 3 Handicap - 1110. Time: 1-04.75.
1 So Different; 2 General Secretary; 3 Crystal Rocket.

So Different made a mockery of her 40-1 odds when she jumped into an immediate lead and was never headed as she turned an early lead into a victory procession to give trainer Ben Robinson his first Metropolitan winner.

Her gate speed might have set up the win for the last start Gatton winner, but it was the six-year-old’s commitment in the home straight which sealed her success. General Secretary, who emerged from the pack, had every chance to run So Different down over the final 200m while Crystal Rocket fired up late down the outside, but only arrived when it was all over.

So Different was safely home and she improved his record to four wins from thirteen starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Ben Robinson: “You might not get much sense out of me at the moment. I’m real happy ... it’s my first Metropolitan winner.

“I was hopeful of a good performance, but you can never expect too much coming into town, you know. She had some trouble in her run the last time she came to town (when finishing tenth at Doomben two runs back). She ended up pulling up with a couple of problems. She tore a couple of muscles in the run, so she had excuses for that day.

“She was showing really good form except for two runs, the one here and the one at Toowoomba where she got hampered with at the start. Apart from that she wasn’t beat by anymore than two lengths. So she was showing very good form.”

Jockey Todd Pannell: “Yeah, began good. Sort of an on-pace runner. I have ridden her before. In hindsight we drew nice gate ... had a nice run. Got the breathers where I wanted them in the run. I was still going quite good on the corner and then finished off really good.

“Yeah, I rode her about five starts ago and won on her at Ipswich, and really showed the same again today ... and a little more improvement too which we were hoping for today. It did win last start at Gatton. You know, we were hoping for a little bit more improvement in the horse and she produced it today.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Country Tale was declared a late scratching at 7.51 am on veterinary advice. Near the 800m, Passed In Twice (J. Keating) had to be checked when tightened for room between Our Moscato (L. Rolls) and Any Wonder (S. Bogenhuber), which commenced to over-race and shifted out despite the efforts of its rider.

Apprentice L. Rolls, rider of Our Moscato, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that near the 700m he permitted his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Any Wonder (S. Bogenhuber), resulting in Any Wonder having to be checked to avoid the heels of Our Moscato. L. Rolls was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 21 September and to expire at midnight, 1 October 2009. A. Spinks, rider of Crystal Rocket, dropped his whip leaving the 200m. Sherann (M. Cahill) and Trickett (J. Byrne) raced wide throughout.