SCST SEPT 18 - I’M HOT ROASTS THE OPPOSITION

By Graham Potter | Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sunshine Coast, September 18, 2009.
Cushion Track.
3yo QTIS Maiden Handiap - 1100m. Time: 1-06.73.
1 I'm Hot; 2 Tickle The Kitty; 3 Ponzi Scheme.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “They said he has got a high cruising speed and that I should just let him run and try to break the other horse’s hearts. Yeah, no, he’s not real quick out of the gates, but then he has got that high cruising speed and he just ran him into the ground.

“It probably looked like an average win, but I think he’ll win quite a few more. He got tired at the end, but he’ll take a lot of improvement out of that so I expect he’ll probably do the same again next time. I mean he won the race with his speed in the middle stages. That was just him doing that. I was just sitting on him and he wanted to take off ... and they said, let him do that, you know. They were right.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
At the request of jockey J. Byrne, Touch Of Spice underwent a veterinary examination behind the barriers. Touch Of Spice was found to be lame in the near-foreleg and was declared a late scratching at 2.18 pm. Trainer R.Bradshaw was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for the horse prior to its next race start.

Ponzi Scheme (E. Wilson) began awkwardly and shifted in, making contact with Likaphantom (K. Pope). Our Gold Stash (M. Hellyer) jumped away awkwardly, losing ground. Velvet Knight (M. Hughes), which commenced to over-race in the early stages, had to be steadied from the heels of Tickle The Kitty (D. Browne) approaching the 800m when that horse shifted in.

Nearing the 800m, Likaphantom (K. Pope), which had commenced to over-race, had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Ponzi Scheme, which shifted in. After considering all the evidence, stewards severely reprimanded apprentice E. Wilson, rider of Ponzi Scheme, and advised her that she must be the required two lengths clear when shifting ground.

Approaching the 700m, Tickle The Kitty (D. Browne) had to be steadied and lost ground when being eased to avoid the heels of Ponzi Scheme (E. Wilson), which shifted in when not clear. Stewards severely reprimanded apprentice E. Wilson, rider of Ponzi Scheme, and advised her to provide more clearance in future.

Velvet Knight was inclined to hang out approaching the home turn and continued to do so for the remainder of the straight, placing its rider at a disadvantage.

A post-race veterinary examination of Moringa Bubbles, which finished a distant last, revealed the horse to be shin-sore in both forelegs. Trainer R. Bradshaw was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for the horse prior to its next race start.