DOOM OCT 31 - EMERALD HILL SCORES INCH PERFECT VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Thursday, November 5, 2009

Doomben, October 31, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 2m.
Class 6 Plate (Set Weights) - 2100m. Time: 2-08.89.
1 Emerald Hill; 2 Moon Chaser; 3 Hooray Tobey.

Apprentice jockey Chris McIver rode a perfectly judged race on the Trevor Bailey trained Emerald Hill to get the mare home over the top of Moon Chaser in the shadow of the post to take the decision by a head.

McIver settled the Emerald Hill third last, racing well off the speed. He then asked the six-year-old to start making up ground in the sweep to the turn, but she still had plenty of work to do when she straightened six wide, some seven lengths off the leader Hooray Tobey.

The chase was a long one requiring a sustained effort, but Emerald Hill stuck to her task and she gradually started to make up the leeway. Moon Chaser was also finishing well and he looked the likely winner as he ranged up alongside Hooray Toby inside the final 100m, but McIver had judged his run on Emerald Hill to perfection and Emerald Hill arrived just in time to snare Moon Chaser in last few strides to score her fourth victory from only eleven starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Chris McIver: “They ran a nice tempo for me. This horse gets back and really finds the line. Today everything went in its favour. He got back ... they went a good pace and I just had the luck being able to pop off ... go down the outside and pick them up.

“The plan was to get back but not too far back and just to work into it from about the 600 or 700 ... to just start working into it and hopefully get carried into the race. But it didn’t really happen that way. We got back to where we wanted to, but, coming to the 600 there was nothing going forward good enough to carry us into it. Just before the turn I had to peel out one more and start making my own run.

With no weight on her back I knew she’d quicken well enough. I had my doubts about whether I’d get there halfway up the straight, but then she found another gear and really took off and went right over the top of them. I’d like to ride her again."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Emerald Hill): 5.00 out to 7.00.
Equal Favourite (Body Double): 3.40 out to 3.80. Finished ninth.
Equal favourite (Mu Counsel): 3.60 out to 3.80. Finished sixth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Siong Tee made the crossing at the 1600m very awkwardly.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey J. Taylor in respect of the performance of Body Double. Jockey Taylor stated that from his awkward barrier he was forced to ride the horse in a more forward position than he would have liked due to being trapped wide in the early stages. However Body Double after travelling kindly in the middle stages was under pressure leaving the 600m and failed to respond to his riding thereafter. Trainer R. Lipp explained that the horse's work had been pleasing leading up to today's event and he could offer no explanation for the performance of Body Double other than the mare was currently in season. A post-race veterinary examination of Body Double failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

M. Hellyer, rider of My Counsel, which performed below expectations, explained that the mare travelled well until a point leaving the 600m at which stage he attempted to improve, however My Counsel was immediately under pressure and failed to respond to his riding in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination of My Counsel failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.