EF NOV 14 - OUR LUKAS BACK WITH A BANG

By Graham Potter | Monday, November 16, 2009

Eagle Farm, November 14, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 9m.
Brisbane Handicap (Quality - Listed) - 1600m. Time 1-34.42.
1 Our Lukas; 2 Secrets Untold; 3 Sam's Express.

The Ipswich Cup winner Our Lukas gave notice of things to come when he scored a 1.25 length victory in the Brisbane Handicap at Eagle Farm. The chestnut was having his third run this prep and stepped up in distance from 1350m to 1600m.

With a couple of flicks of his wrists jockey Brad Pengelly pushed Our Lukas to the lead from the jump and the six-year-old quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm. Sam’s Express was travelling well in second spot, racing just off Our Lukas’s heels, and these two runners took the field to the turn and then settled down to do battle on straightening.

Our Lukas kicked nicely enough at the top of the straight, but Sam’s Express stayed with him. Passing the 200m mark it was still a race in two with Our Lukas holding on resolutely to his advantage and that’s what he did all the way to the line to claim the ninth win of his career.

Sam’s Express never stopped trying but, in the end, his effort was only worth third placing as Secrets Untold, who was well back on the turn, produced his trademark, committed finish arriving late to snatch second spot away from Sam’s Express by a short-half-head.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “I’m really happy for Brad Pengelly to ride a nice horse for me, because he was the one who stuck with him for the two runs he needed to get up to the mile. I was fairly happy about getting him to the mile today, even though he was third-up and on a back-up.

“I’ve successfully backed him up in the past and I thought with the rail out 9m today ... I said to Bred (Pengelly), you know, don’t hesitate mate ... kick him from gate one.

“You know the opinion I’ve got about Our Lukas. He’s a good horse. He showed that last preparation. He’s done it well there today. I think he was probably aided a touch with the rail being out, which I think favoured the frontrunners.

“I hate percentages ... but I think he is still only about eighty percent right. I know when a trainer says its eighty percent, that’s bollocks. You don’t know things that precisely ... but I do know he is going to improve a lot.

“It’s a good feeling because he is a good horse. He’ll go to the Listed race ... the Recognition over a mile ...in two weeks. There’s a Quality two weeks later and then the Bernborough. Then we’ll probably back off him a bit and then we’ll have a crack at a nice race during the carnival.”

Jockey Brad Pengelly: “I was expecting Daedalus to go forward. I wanted to lead if I could and it worked out well that way. I let him stride a little bit and then brought him back sort of thing ... and he was able to relax everytime I let him come back. Full credit to him. Full credit to Rob (Heathcote) for placing him.

“I believe Sam’s Express did get onto level terms with us, but my bloke sort of wasn’t at his top and he just had to go through his gears, so to speak. Once he hit top gear he was always going to be hard to get past because he is very strong at the end.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Our Lukas): 4.20 out to 5.00 in to 4.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Humma (A. Pattillo) was slow to begin. Secrets Untold (S. Katsidis) was inclined to lay in under pressure over the concluding stages.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey L. Cassidy regarding the tactics employed on Daedalus, which saw the horse racing in a midfield position which was in contrast to its normal racing pattern.

L. Cassidy explained that he had been instructed to lead and jumped out with full intention of doing so, riding the horse aggressively in the early stages. L. Cassidy added that shortly after the start he was tightened for room between Sam’s Express (M. Cahill) and Hard To Catch (B. Stewart), and Daedalus was reluctant to hold that tight position and laid in across the heels of Sam’s Express and had to be steadied.

L. Cassidy further stated that he was then obliged to take up a position on the fence behind Our Lukas (B. Pengelly). A post race veterinary examination of failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. Stewards after viewing the patrol footage, which supported the version supplied by L. Cassidy, accepted the explanation.