EF NOV 14 - SLICE AND DICE SHREDS THE OPPOSITION

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, November 16, 2009

Eagle Farm, November 14, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 9m.
2yo QTIS 600 Handicap (C & G) - 1000m. Time: 58.25.
1 Slice And Dice; 2 The Barracks; 3 Gentle Giant.

Slice And Dice could not have been more impressive when demolishing his eight opponents by a six length margin when cruising home under a cosy hands and heels ride from jockey Michael Cahill.

The Liam Birchley trained chestnut jumped from the worst of the draw and Cahill was happy to ease across and take up a position towards the rear of the feel. Still some seven lengths off the leader turning for home, Slice And Dice pulled out very wide to begin his challenge as the widest runner on the track.

The colt needed no second asking when asked for his effort and he produced a sustained run to take control of proceedings with the minimum of fuss as he swept to the front and cleared away to put daylight between himself and the scramble for the minor placings.

It was a big win. Add Slice And Dice to the notebook.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Liam Brichley: “I paid $70,000 for him at the Sydney Classic sale. He was just a really good developing type and he was one of those horses ... after I bought him, he just went the right way, which you can’t always guarantee. You know, he lengthened out and grew and, you know, exactly what you want to see.

“Well you’d hope we’d get a good barrier soon, but you can never bank on it. You’ve got to sort of deal with what you’ve been given and he’s done that very well.” (Slice And Dice drew ten out of eleven first-up ... when finishing third ... and he jumped from the widest barrier here).

“I don’t think the opposition was over strong. Take nothing away from the win. It was sound and I couldn’t have asked him to do much more.

“I’ve got about 20 youngsters all up, but I’ve only got six or seven in at the moment. I haven’t got too far down the track with most of them. The tracks are a little bit hard early and I just selected to wait a bit with them. On exposed form, obviously he’s up there and he does keep improving. Hopefully he will keep doing it.

“He is going to go down to the Inglis Classic in mid-December. They have put on an extra 1000m two-year-old race there in about a month’s time. It’s a quarter of a million so it is nothing to be sneezed at. While he is going well it is a good option.”

Jockey Michael Cahill: “Yeah he is a promising colt. He was much too good for them here today. Liam Birchley was of the opinion that he’d improved since his first start and it was certainly the case. He really jumped out of the ground here today.

“Yeah, maybe the opposition may have had a question mark against them ... well I think the second horse (The Barracks) is obviously a smart type, but it all came down to his ability here today so hopefully he can go on with it.

“If he got a good gate he could take a position, but he wouldn’t lead. He’s a horse that likes to find his feet. It takes him about a furlong and he starts to travel, but he could definitely be much closer.

“He showed a very good turn of foot today. He has obviously learned a bit from the other day, but in saying that the barrier beat him the other day. If he had drawn in he would have won.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Slice And Dice): 2.00 in to 1.90.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Worrigee (A. Mundy) jumped away awkwardly. Noah’s Smile (D. Gill) and Sir Qualified (K. Banks) both jumped away awkwardly and made contact. A short distance later, Sir Qualified was tightened for room between Noah’s Smile and Flying Mel (J. Holder), which shifted out.

Near the 700m, Court Success (G. Baker) improved up on to the heels of The Barracks (B. Stewart) and had to be steadied. Slice And Dice (M. Cahill) made the home turn extremely wide. Gentle Giant (J. Byrne) and The Barracks raced very greenly in the home straight.

Cahill