EF OCT 17 - CORNWALL PARK BREEZES IN

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, October 19, 2009

Eagle Farm, October 17, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
Class 6 Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-22.47.
1 Cornwall Park; 2 Aquaterra; 3 Thornado.

Cornwall Park went into the race as a short-priced favourite defending an unbeaten record and his followers had little cause for concern early the Alan Bailey trained runner settled in the box seat racing third behind Aquaterra and Punch Up.

These runners held station until the turn where Cornwall Park momentarily found himself in an awkward position. He was hard on the heels of the leader with horses on his outside holding him in restricted galloping room.

To check and switch out for a run, supposing it became available, would have compromised Cornwall Park’s chances, but, just as it seemed he might be in trouble, the leader Aquaterra shifted ground outwards and Cornwall Park was suddenly offered an uninterrupted run to the line.

Given more rein, Cornwall Park quickened like the good horse he is. He surged to the lead and had his race won a long way from home, although jockey Glen Colless did keep riding the four-year-old out to the line as part of Cornwall Park’s education process as he went about the business of completing win number five from five starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Alan Bailey: “He’s going good that fella. He might go a bit further now he’s starting to settle better. Settled good today. I think he’ll go further. Even today, I was just saying to (owner) Ken (McDonald), when he was so relaxed there behind them, he (Glen Colless) had to chase him up a little bit to even make him get going ... which means he probably should be able to have no trouble running a mile ... 2000m.

“I will just be putting him through these classes like he’ll still get back here if they handicap him right. He’s just got on the weights just nicely now, as long as they keep doing it right. I wouldn’t mind popping him up to 2000m now because I think they are that weak that he’d get one with no trouble, you know.

You never know long range. He should improve. He should just keep improving as he gets older. Pentire’s usually get better as they get older and he hasn’t had a lot of racing. That’s only his fifth race.”

Jockey Glen Colless: “He’s still over-raced a touch early going down the back. He still hasn’t got it all together yet. We’ve tried a few different things with him ... different bridles and put the one-eyed blinker on him today and didn’t hang in as bad, but he was on the fence all the way and, if anything, he wanted to get off the fence the last little bit. I made him go to the line, you know, I think good horses should go to the line.

“He will go up in distance. We’ve just got to get him to come back that touch. I think he can keep winning. He’ll probably have a little rest now I’d say and come back a nice winter horse. I think what he has done this prep has been enough and I am sure Alan (Bailey) probably thinks the same way and he’ll just put him away for a little while over the summer while it is a bit hot and he’ll come back a nice horse."

PRICE PLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Cornwall Park): 1.60 in to 1.50 out to 1.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Thorondo (K. Pope) was slow to begin. Mister Tivoli (A. Pattillo) faltered shortly after the start and shifted out, bumping Cornwall Park (G. Colless). Gather (M. Hellyer) raced wide throughout.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey D. Browne, rider of Aquaterra, in regards to the reasons his mount came away from the running rail rounding the turn and in the early stages of the straight, thereby allowing Cornwall Park a run to its inside.

D. Browne explained that from the time he allowed Aquaterra more rein to increase the tempo inside the 600m it had a tendency to lay away from the fence, and despite his efforts shifted ground outwards. D. Browne further explained that he was unaware that Cornwall Park was trailing him and he would have had to apply extreme pressure to the inside rein and unbalance Aquaterra to hold his position on the running rail, and he felt this would have been detrimental to the chances of Aquaterra finishing in its best possible position.

D. Brown further reported that he was forced to stop riding and straighten Aquaterra on several occasions in the straight due to it shifting ground outwards. Trainer B. Guy confirmed the horse has displayed a tendency to hang out throughout its career. Stewards accepted the explanation.