SCST NOV 08 - INCANDESCENT WINS AS HE LIKES

By Graham Potter | Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sunshine Coast, November 8, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 10m.
Maiden Handicap (3yo and up) - 1000m. Time: 59.29.
1 Incandescent; 2 Here Comes Tony; 3 Vietato.

The Jason Dittman trained Incandescent scored his breakthrough win in his fifth career start when he comfortably accounted for the opposition to win by a clear-cut 2.50 length margin. It was the gelding’s first start for the Dittman stable.

The lightly raced three-year-old raced in fifth position until straightening. Switched wider for the run home, the gelding lengthened his stride on cue. He was then forced even wider when Vietato Fumare shifted out, but that hiccup hardly slowed his progress and it soon became apparent that Incandescent had all the options covered and he only had to maintain his effort to the line to claim his first success.

An interesting runner, Incandescent stared his career in a 2yo feature at Flemington back in March where he was ridden by Damian Oliver. He was badly beaten there, as he was in his subsequent start when sent out as a $2.40 favourite. The implication from both the Oliver engagement and the betting support suggests that the horse had been showing something, but it didn’t translate into a racetrack performance. Incandescent also did little in his next two starts.

He might have beaten little of note here in his first start since relocating to Queensland but, given his background, it might be worthwhile to keep an eye on next time out.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jason Dittman: “I’ve had the horse for three weeks. We bought him at a tried horse sale. Yeah, and we got a pretty good deal. I got a whole group of owners who live up in Darwin in him. They’re all probably jumping over the moon.

“I was pretty confident. I just thought it might have been a bit short for him, but I told Mitch (Speers) to be a bit positive on him ... which he was. He pulled him out and let him run his own race and it all worked out well.”

Apprentice jockey Mitchell Speers: “He won well. I thought I was going that good I’ll just get to the outside, but then that thing (Vietato Fumare) starting taking me off the track. So it took me wider than I wanted to be. I would have went up inside him if I knew he was going to do that. He was always going well. He’s going to get further and win a few more.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Incandescent): 4.80 out to 7.50.
Favourite (He’s A Hoot): 3.60 in to 2.50. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Adangertohimself was declared a late scratching at 1.52 pm on veterinary advice after the gelding was injured in its race day stall. Visona Gold (M. Heagney) was slow to begin. Gone For Four (S. Katsidis) began awkwardly and then was tightened for room between Toyhero (A. Spinks) and He's A Hoot (G. Geran), both of which shifted ground.

Approaching the 300m, Incandescent (M. Speers) had to be steadied and shifted out to avoid the heels of Vietato Fumare (M. Hellyer), which shifted out. Secret Will (D. Gill) raced wide for the majority of the event.

On return to scale, Gone For Four was found to have bled. Trainer F. Phillips was advised that Gone For Four would be barred from racing for a period of three months and would be required to perform a 1000m gallop before stewards prior to being permitted to race again.