IPSW NOV 17 - WILLOWIE LAD STROLLS IN WITH EASE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Ipswich, November 17, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 9m 1600-1200; out - 10m 1200-finish.
Class 1 Handicap - 1025m. Time: 59.57.
1 Willowie Lad; 2 Miss Streetem; 3 Fields Of Plenty.

The Kelly Schweida trained Willowie Lad made no mistake first-up when he easily accounted for his opposition in clinical fashion to win rather more easily than the 0.80 winning margin suggests.

Given the run of the race in third spot on the rail by jockey Tony Pattillo, Willowie Lad tracked the front-running joint-favourite Fiery lad and the second placed Miss Streetem to the turn.

Fiery Lad was soon under pressure in the home straight and Miss Streetem had his measure by the 150m mark, but she in turn was cut down soon after that by the finishing effort of the long-striding Willowie Lad who cruised to the front to win with a minimum of fuss.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “Good guys do win sometimes. Yeah, he was first up. I don’t do a lot with him. He’s a big fellow. I’ve had a lot of trouble getting him in. Finally got him in alright in the day yard. He doesn’t get boxed at all, so he’s been a lot better.

“His first-up form has always been good. He won here (at Ipswich) first-up before. Doing the form we thought the hardest to beat would be my other horse Sequaboomwa and the number eight (Aurora Sky) and they both were scratched, so it worked out well for him.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Willowie Lad): 2.70 out to 3.00.
The winner was equal favourite.
Equal favourite (Fiery Lad): 2.60 out to 3.00. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Chilli Rock (K. Banks) and Don’t Touch The Hat (D. Barron) were slow to begin. Double Glow (M. Cahill) raced wide without cover throughout.

J. Holder, rider of Fields Of Plenty, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that after passing the 800m he permitted his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Mysterious Girl (M. Hellyer), which was tightened for room and had to be checked. J. Holder was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 7 meetings, to commence at midnight, 21 November and to expire at midnight, 2 December 2009.

Mysterious Girl bled during the event. Trainer D. Humby was advised that the horse would be barred from racing for a period of 3 months