DOOM OCT 07 - ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR GENERAL SECRETARY

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 9, 2009

Doomben, October 07, 2009
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 8m.
Class 3 Handicap (Fillies & Mares) - 1110m. Time: 1-04.27.
1 General Secretary; 2 Fille De Neige; 3 Jasminka.

After having a seven-month, injury enforced layoff after his debut outing, the Brett Baker trained General Secretary has returned in fine fettle and he landed his second win in four starts this prep.

Jockey Christian Reith gave the mare the run of the race. Reith settled the four-year-old in third spot until the turn. General Secretary was up to second on straightening and Reith immediately asked her to go after the front-running Fille De Niege, who was intent on making an early break for glory.

Fille de Niege was no pushover and the early leader fought on strongly with General Secretary in hot pursuit. The latter stuck gamely to his task in what turned out to be a long chase and, just when it looked like Flle De Niege would prevail, General Secretary ranged up alongside her rival on the post to get the decision by the proverbial nose.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brett Baker: “She did a tendon and she was out for seven months. First start back she won at Eagle Farm and that was a big enough boost that day. I was over the moon. She hasn’t put a foot wrong since. Even the day she ran sixth she was only beaten a length-and-a-half. She got a bump on the turn and got off balance that day. She can relax in her races so I think she’ll probably get further.

“So, yeah, I was confident coming into today. Christian (Reith) has ridden her every start this time in. I don’t even tell him what to do. If he doesn’t know how to ride her by now he should be sacked. No, it was a good ride.”

Jockey Christian Reith: “She is a tough little bugger. She is horse that likes to get out and roll along. The more you give her the more she digs, she showed that in the race. She was in a nice position and she kept fighting. She’s doing a good job.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The connections of Grandiva were advised that the colt would not be permitted to start again if the Document of Description was not produced for the horse.

Licence To Steal (M. Radecker) raced wide in the early and middle stages. Crystal Rocket (A. Spinks) was momentarily tightened for room rounding the home turn between Grandiva (M. Cahill) and Jester Rebel (M. Hellyer), which shifted out slightly when weakening.

M. Cahill, rider of Grandiva, reported that the mare did not begin the best today and whilst it usually takes up a position worse than midfield, he was obliged to restrain the horse back to last in order to take a position closer to the fence. M. Cahill added that, in his opinion, Grandiva finished the race off only fairly over the concluding stages.