IPSW OCT 22 - SCHUBERT PILOTS FRANGELICO TO A SOLID FIRST-UP WIN

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 23, 2009

Ipswich, October 22, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 2.5m
Class 2 Handicap - 1350m. Time: 1-20.87.
1 Frangelico; 2 Mr Nicholas; 3 Diamondsaucash.

Frangelico, who was having her first start for trainer Kelso Wood, scored a comfortable first-up win in her Queensland debut.

Capably ridden by apprentice jockey Vicky Schubert, Frangelico landed in the lead before being relegated into second place by the forward move of Cheval Argente. When Diamondaucash also went up to dispute the lead Frangelico was left in a comfortable third placing and she was perfectly poised to strike when Schubert switched the mare out three wide on the turn and asked her to lengthen her stride on straightening.

Frangelico had little difficulty in reeling in the two runners ahead of her and she also had more than enough in hand to see off the late challenge of Mr Nicholas who ran on well enough over the final 150m without posing any serious threat to the winner.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelso Wood: “I’ve had the horse in the stable for a couple of months. The owners bought him at a tried sale down south and sent her to me. She’s given us some positive indications in work, so, yeah, I thought she’s win.”

Apprentice jockey Vicky Schubert: “Yeah, I was confident. You’ve got a lot of confidence in the trainer, you know, when you ride for this stable. He is a very good trainer.

“When Katsidis crossed (on Cheval Argente) and was going to stack us up a bit I thought, well I’ll just pop off the fence ... just to give myself the opportunity to get out. I was always travelling well. At the top of the straight I knew I still had a nice horse underneath me.

“I had no real concerns in the straight. You have always got to worry about what is coming behind you, but I thought I was going pretty well so I was never really concerned.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rich Blue Dane (P. Hammersley) which stood flatfooted at the start then jumped away very awkwardly striking the outside barrier partition losing considerable ground. Trainer J. Bayliss was advised that a warning would be placed on the gelding's barrier manners.

Diamondsaucash (J. Byrne) raced three wide in the early and middle stages before being ridden forward to cross to race outside the leader near the 600m. After passing the 800m All Kiwi (B. Pengelly) commenced to over-race and as a result shifted wider on the track. All Kiwi raced wide for the remainder of the race. After passing the 600m Spanish Sister (A. Spinks) shifted out around the heels of Frangelico (App V. Schubert), resulting in All Kiwi and Magic Rocker (A. Pattillo) being inconvenienced and taken wider on the track. Demonstrator (B. Stewart) was held up when unable to obtain clear running in the home straight until approaching the 100m.

When questioned S. Katsidis explained that he was instructed to ride Cheval Argente in a handy position, preferably with cover however, in the early stages he rode Cheval Argente forward and was unable to obtain a trailing position so he elected to lead with a view to slowing the filly and sprinting from the 600m. S. Katsidis added that he was unable to slow the tempo as he would have liked as Diamondsaucash raced to his outside after passing the 700m. S. Katsidis further added that Cheval Argente was not suited when leading and in his view this tactic had an impact on the horse weakening over the final 100m. Stewards accepted his explanation.

When asked to explain the disappointing performance of All Kiwi jockey B. Pengelly stated that the horse was disadvantaged by the slow tempo of today's race. B. Pengelly added that he did have some concerns with the gelding's action in running and that the horse did prove disappointing. A post race veterinary examination of All Kiwi failed to reveal any abnormalities.

Schubert