SCENIC SHOT WINS DOOMBEN CUP THRILLER

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Doomben Cup (Group 1) - 2020m. Time 2.02.87. Track: Good 3. Rail: Out 2m the entire circuit.
The course and race record for this race is held at 2-00.53 by Might And Power (1998).
1 Scenic Shot; 2 Racing To Win; 3 Sir Slick.

It was a thriller. With whips flying and jockeys roaring at their mounts, the race turned into a three-way battle with 100m left to run. Sir Slick, as ever was trying to go all the way. Scenic Shot and Racing To Win were charging at him. Scenic Shot and Racing To Win got to Sir Slick in the last 20m and then flashed through the line, almost locked together. The nose difference was in favour of Scenic Shot and jockey Shane Scriven didn’t need to wait for any photo-finish. He was up in the irons, celebrating his first Group 1 victory since 1992 the moment he had crossed the line.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Len Morton, representing son (trainer) Daniel Morton, who was back at his Perth base preparing Scenic Blast for his trip to England: “If ever a horse should have been able to win a Group 1, this one deserved it and we’re really thrilled. I don’t know what happened at the Hollandale. The race didn’t suit him ... maybe the track. We couldn’t put our finger on it.

“I’ve have never got a thrill as big watching a horse in track work as I did with this horse here on Thursday. I thought if he gets a crack at it he’ll be very, very hard to hold out. We knew we were going to be in trouble from the wide gate. The plan was to do exactly what he did ... follow the pace across and then ease back off them, so that you are not right on top of the pace all the way. If you can get in that’s good ... but we didn’t want to work too hard to get inside of horses, because he likes to keep his rhythm and balance with the efficient stride that he’s got. He’s been a very consistent horse no matter where he’s gone. He’s placed in Group 1’s. He’s won his Group 2’s and 3’s as you saw here last year. He’s just one of those really honest horses and is a great horse to work with. He’ll go to the O’Shea now.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “It’s amazing to see these old horses like this winning these races, you know. Lennie (Morton) and the boys told me he doesn’t like being cluttered up. I was happy to sit out there. I moved him around. Everywhere I wanted him to go, he relaxed and did everything I wanted him to do ... and he fought like a caged lion in the finish, you know.

“I was watching Sir Slick. I knew Glen (Colless) would try to get a break on us. I had to be the one to set out after him and then fair credit to the grey horse (Racing To Win). He really stuck the challenge to me, but my horse just wouldn’t lie down. This is my fourth Group 1 win. I got three pretty early and the next one’s been a long time coming I can tell you (the last was in 1992). I said I was going to retire when I rode my next Group 1 winner ... go out at the top you know. But now that I’ve done it I’ve got to say, bugger that, this is too much fun.

“I was speaking to the boys this morning. Damien (Oliver, who rode Scenic Shot in his last start) gave the upside of the horse’s run last time. Glen (Colless), who partnered the horse to feature race glory last year) was informative. I jumped on him during the week. Putting that all together, I had a pretty good idea of what I needed to do. I knew I’d be a little bit wide around the back. You know, hopefully we could slot in, but, mate, it just all worked out.

“The grey horse ... Hughie (Bowman) wanted to come off the fence at the 1200m. I just let him do that. I didn’t want to get buffeted around. But we slotted back in coming around the half-mile turn. Again we didn’t want to get buffeted around, so I just eased him out. He just kept lengthening. The toppie came at me in the straight, I thought he had the better of me ... but he wouldn’t lie down you know. Two old buggers going at it hammer and tongs.

“The boys told me that he can put in an ordinary run (like the Hollindale) and it doesn’t surprise them to see him bounce back next start. His work here on Tuesday was good. I didn’t ride him on Thursday, but the boys raved about it. Matty (O’Connell) has been riding him in most of his work and he said it was winning work. Basically they were telling me that they’d done their job. That meant the only one who could screw it up was me ... and I couldn’t let them down.

“I got the ride because Glen ... a good mate of mine, but a bad judge ... he wanted to stick with Sir Slick. He was to ride him. I just got the call to ask me to ride him in the Doomben Cup and the 2200m race across the road, the O’Shea, and I was happy to do that.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stand Tall (L. Cassidy) was slow to begin. High Cee (M. Rodd) raced wide in the early stages. Approaching the 1700m Markus Maximus (L. Nolen) became unbalanced when racing between Miss Darcey (G. Boss) and Triple Honour (D. Oliver) and lost ground. Near the 1500m High Cee improved up onto the heels of Prima Nova (B. Rawiller) and shifted out taking Bernica (K. McEvoy) wider on the track. When the pace steadied turning out of the straight a number of runners were hampered, the main sufferers were Fulmonti (J. Bowditch), Veloce Bella (O. Bosson), Riva San (S. Seamer) and Mirkola Lass (M. Walker) and to a lesser extent Bernica (K. McEvoy). S. Seamer (Riva San) was fined the sum of $400.00 under the provisions of AR137A(2)(b) for unnecessary use of the whip on a horse which was well out of contention. After the race the Club's veterinary surgeon examined Douro Valley and reported he was unable to detect any abnormalities.