EF NOV 03 - JASMINKA WINS AS SHE LIKES

By Graham Potter | Friday, November 6, 2009

Eagle Farm, November 3, 2009.
Track - Good 3, Rail - out 10m.
Class 4 Handicap (Fillies And Mares) - 1500m. Time: 1-30.19.
1 Jasminka; 2 Simian Express; 3 Bloomin Thunder.

Jasminka jumped awkwardly. She was slow out and took a step to the right, but jockey Larry Cassidy quickly put her mind back on the job and the mare easily made up the lost ground and settled comfortably in midfield as the six runners raced in pairs in the early part.

Jasminka was third on straightening, close up behind the leaders. Cassidy eased his mount out around heels into clear running and asked Jasminka to lengthen her stride and. She quickly picked up ground to move past the duelling duo of Simian Express and Bloomin Thunder with the minimum of fuss to go on to score an untroubled win.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “She hadn’t run beyond 1200m, so I didn’t quite know about the 1500m. There was no other race for her. Queensland Racing put the race I wanted to run in, the 1300m, they put it at Toowoomba, but then they didn’t have it, so my choice was limited.”

“She’s a lazy little thing. She could be a very good mare this. She’ll go through her grades and she could end up winning a nice race.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “Yeah, we did have a slight moment at the start. She can be a bit fidgety. I got her standing really quiet. I didn’t want anyone up with her. I wanted to see if I could get her to stand really quiet myself. I did it and then, just before we jumped she sat down.

“From barrier one ... small field it didn’t make any difference. I didn’t have to use her to get where I was. The speed was on. In the end it was a nice soft win. She had no problem stepping up in distance (this was the mare’s first run beyond 1200m). I suppose there’s always a slight concern, but she has got a bit of class and that makes up for it.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jasminka): 1.65 out to 1.80 in to 1.75.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed when Little Pumpkin proved difficult to load. A warning was issued to the connections of Little Pumpkin regarding the mare's barrier manners. Jasminka (L. Cassidy) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. A post race veterinary examination of Honours Degree failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.