SCST OCT 25 - NORTHERN APACHE TAKES NO PRISONERS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sunshine Coast, October 25, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 8m.
Class 1 Handicap - 1600m. Time: 1-37.21.
1 Northern Apache; 2 Forbes; 3 Bradash.

Northern Apache was always going too well for his opposition here. The big, long-striding gelding settled comfortably in second placing on a good speed behind Our Wave and these two runners held the leading positions, with a gap on the chasing pack, all the way to the turn.

An indication of just how well Northern Apache was travelling was the casual manner in which jockey Ken Pope glanced over his shoulder, first to the left and then to the right, on straightening. When he looked forward again, he knew he probably only had to run down the leader to win. Pope wasted little time in doing just that, pushing Northern Apache into the lead as early as the 300m mark and then kicking on strongly to the line to make the race his own.

Forbes, who was last on the turn and the widest runner in the straight, made up heaps of ground late to score an eye-catching runner-up finish.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brett Baker: “He put the writing on the wall with a second place at Ipswich last time. We put him up a little bit in distance and the race panned out perfectly.

“The mile suits him. The three runs before that on the Cushion Track were terrible. The Toowoomba track didn’t suit him at all. He works good on it, but he doesn’t race good on it. In one of those races there he carried a lot of weight in a Plate race and he got checked a couple of times. I think was his third run on that Cushion ... so his last run (at Ipswich) was his true form and he followed up on that here. I’m very happy.”

Jockey Ken Pope: “I thought he was going to be hard to in the straight. They went at a nice even pace and he was in the right position. He gave me a good kick at the top of the straight and then they had to try and come and get me. He was too good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Northern Apache): 4.20 out to 5.00.
Favourite (Le Jeduma): 3.00 out to 3.30 in to 3.00. Finished ninth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
J. Kropp, rider of the 4th placegetter, Our Wave, was fined $300 for failing to weigh in 4th.

When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of Le Jeduma, S. Katsids stated that the horse never felt comfortable throughout the race and when placed under pressure near the 700m failed to respond to his riding. He further added that, in his opinion, the horse had difficulties with its breathing.

Trainer B. Guy stated that whilst he was unable to offer any tangible explanation he advised stewards he would have the horse scoped in the following days as the horse has had a throat operation, and that he would advise stewards of any findings. Stewards noted the explanation. A post-race veterinary examination of Le Jeduma failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.