EF SEPT 19 - BACK TO BACK WINS FOR MR ORIENT

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Eagle Farm. September 19, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 6m.
Class 6 Handicap (C, G & E) - 1400m. Time: 1-23.03.
1 Mr Orient; 2 Thorondo; 3 Tears'n'Cheers. Finished third.

The Peter Balzen trained Mr Orient made it back-to-back race wins with a spirited display which saw him pass the post with a little less than a length to spare on the second placed Thorondo.

Red Ferments set a strong early gallop which stretched out the field and Mr Orient was speedy enough to track across from his outside draw to settle in a prominent fourth position. Jockey Larry Cassidy moved Mr Orient up closer to the action on the turn and he was a close-up third, three wide when the field straightened.

Cassidy made an early forward move and surged into the leading line. A glance over his left shoulder at the 350m suggested that Cassidy already knew he had the horses on his inside beaten. He was looking for any danger from the swoopers on the outside and that’s exactly where the threat to Mr Orient came from as firstly Tears’N’Cheers and then Thorondo produced challenges which pressured Mr Orient all the way to the line.

The game four-year-old had their measure though and he toughed it out to the line to claim his fourth career success.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Larry Cassidy: “Yeah, I bounced good from a wide gate. It was good when they actually went along and I could get across sort of three off the leader. I was happy to get him up close on the turn because then I could nurse him the first part of the straight. When he dashed ... I could feel the other horse coming but he really fought them off well.

“I rode him first-up and he ran a very good race. I said to Peter (Balzen) I really liked this horse. Then he ran well ... and then he won, and now he’s won again so I suppose I’m lucky to get back on him. He’s strung a couple together now and I’m sure he can win a couple more.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Mr Orient): 10.00 steady
Favourite (Tears’N’Cheers): 3.70 out to 4.00. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Enosta Tszyu (R. Wiggins) and Sir Kingsford (D. Browne) were slow to begin.

G. Colless, rider of Tears’N’Cheers, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that approaching the 1200m he permitted his mount to shift in when not sufficiently clear of Sir Kingsford (D. Browne), resulting in Sir Kingsford having to be checked. G. Colless was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 7 meetings, to commence at midnight, 20 September and to expire at midnight, 3 October 2009. At the conclusion of this inquiry, D. Brown (Sir Kingsford) was told he must endeavour to give straight-forward evidence at inquiries being conducted by Queensland Racing Stewards.

Jockey D. Browne (Sir KIngsford) was reminded of his obligations to ride all of his mounts out at least hands and heels right to the finish post whenever possible.

A post race veterinary examination of Rockaria revealed the gelding to be sore in the near-hind leg. Trainer J. Fitzgerald was advised he must provide a veterinary clearance for Rockaria prior to its next race start.

A post race veterinary examination of At My Command revealed the gelding to be sore in the off-fore fetlock. Trainer L. Birchley was advised that he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for the horse prior to its next race start.