EF OCT 10 - END TO END WIN FOR HEART OF THE CITI

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, October 12, 2009

Eagle Farm, October 10, 2009.
Open Handicap (Quality) - 1200m. Time: 1-10.10.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1m.
1 Heart Of The Citi; 2 Vocalic; 3 Forestreno.

An incident at the start, when the well-supported favourite made contact with the barrier on jumped away causing jockey Glen Colless some grief, changed the anticipated pattern of the race.

Rasmussen was expected to lead, but his tardy getaway and Colless’ discomfort at aggravating an old injury did not help his cause. Not that Colless ever stopped riding - to his credit - but Rasmussen could do no better than race in midfield early and it was left to Heart Of the Citi to take up the running just ahead of Sam’s Express.

Jockey Brad Stewart rated the grey perfectly throughout and he had kept a kick in reserve waiting to be brought into play in the home straight and Stewart duly set Heart Of The Citi about his business on straightening.

Sam’s Express the first to try and reel in the frontrunner. When he failed to do so and weakened out of it several runners queued up to strike at Heart Of The Citi. Rasmussen, who made up ground briefly along the inside running rail, Tour Guide and Forestreno all had their opportunity to run down the leader, but each failed to find the extra required to make it a contest.

While these challengers finished off one-paced, Vocalic, who has raced back in second last place early, was the one runner left to test Heart Of The Citi. Vocalic had switched out wider for a run well off the speed early in the straight. At that stage he looked unlikely to trouble the result and that impression remained until Vocalic passed the 180m mark.

It had taken him half the length of the straight to build momentum, but Vocalic starting to fly now and he made certain Heart Of The Citi had to work all the way to the line to see off the late danger as Stewart was forced to push Heart Of The Citi out right on the line to keep the decision and win but a fast diminishing long-head margin.

This was the in-form Heart Of The Citi’s eighth career win. Three of those wins have come in his last five starts. The five-year-old finished runner-up in the other two starts in that sequence.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Pat Duff: “He won well. I thought he could win too. He’s a very good little horse. Last start we were a little bit unlucky. He probably over-raced. He raced a bit over-keen. Today, you know, Bradley (Stewart) rated him perfectly in the race ... let him roll. It was a non-claiming race so we went for a senior rider. It was a very nice win.

“He’ll head towards the Magic Millions or the first two legs of the Triple Crown, and then probably into the Magic Millions Cup."

Jockey Brad Stewart: “I was a bit surprised at the start. I thought Rasmussen would lead and I would just sit on him, but I actually got there pretty soft myself. The horse travelled nicely and he had a good kick in the straight. Yeah, when I have him a squeeze I wasn’t sure that I had the win, but I knew it was going to take something pretty good to get past me.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Heart Of The Citi): 6.50 out to 7.50.
Favourite (Rasmussen): 2.60 in to 2.25. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Vocalic (J. Taylor) and Sam’s Express (L. Cassidy) both jumped away awkwardly. Rasmussen lost its footing and began awkwardly making contact with the barrier partition missing the start. G. Colless aggravated a previous injury in this incident and was subsequently replaced in races seven and eight.
Sam’s Express raced three wide in the early stages of the event.

Stewards sought an explanation from J. Byrne the rider of Tour Guide in regards to his decision to take a trail behind Heart Of The Citi when pressured for the lead. J. Byrne stated with the blinkers off today Tour Guide had not shown its customary early speed and when Heart Of The Citi (B. Stewart) raced forward to the outside of Tour Guide he was under pressure to maintain the lead and was forced to urge the horse forward to hold Heart Of The Citi out from crossing him.

J. Byrne further added that when it became evident to him that Heart Of The Citi was travelling better than Tour Guidehe felt it was in his horse's best interests to allow Heart Of The Citi to move forward to the lead and allow Tour Guide to take a trailing position. His explanation was noted.

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