EF NOV 21 - FIFTEEN CARAT SCORES EYE-CATCHING WIN

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, November 23, 2009

Eagle Farm, November 21, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
3yo QTIS Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-22.73.
1 Fifteen Carat; 2 Fantastic Blue; 3 Bella Sirena.

He has taken six starts to get there, but when Fifteen Carat put it all together to claim his first career success he did so in sparkling fashion.

The Howard Wilson trained Fifteen Carat dropped out from his wide draw and raced second last some eight lengths off the pace which was taken on by Ambushed who led Fantastic Blue to the home turn.

Fantastic Blue took the battle to Ambushed on straightening and he quickly moved into the lead. Jockey Stathi Katsidis meanwhile was about to make his move on Fifteen Carat. The chestnut was still second last turning for home. At that stage he was only three wide but Katsidis wasn’t shy to take the horse out really wide in the first half of the straight.

Now, some ten to eleven wide, Katsidis asked Fifteen Carat to strut his stuff and the gelding responded by producing a long, sustained run which saw him race past the opposition one by one until he arrived with a flourish to get to the lead when it mattered most to relegate Fantastic Blue back into second place.

This was Fifteen Carat’s first win in six starts and it came in his first attempt beyond 1300m.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Howard Wilson: “It was a big run, I mean I thought he had got too far back again, but he is a very smart horse, very smart. He drew bad so he had to go back, you know, but he was a long way from them wasn’t he?

“I was confident he could make the distance. That’s what he was looking for. It was a great run. He is a very smart horse. In fact, Stathi Katsidis told me he’s probably one of the best young horses he has ridden ... not today ... he told me that before he won. He thinks he’s a good horse. I didn’t realise he’d run such a useful time. I didn’t think he’d won either by the way.

“I think we are going to give him an ease up and get him ready for the Magic Millions. The only reason we kept him going was because he didn’t have enough prize money to get into the Magic Millions. So I’d say now we’d give him an ease up ... he’ll only get a fortnight or something like that, you know. Very impressive horse.

“He is a very little framed horse too. He is out of a Snippets mare which helps him. We paid $25,000 for him. He had a big abscess on his throat and I think they all thought he had the strangles. We put him through the Ready to Run sale and we were offered eighty for him, but we kept him. It was a good decision.”

Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “I’ve rode him twice before this and both times I’ve had no luck on him. The first time I got caught three wide on him in a maiden here, but was beat by two very good horses who have gone on to win races in town. Then he sort of got knocked down at the Gold Coast in another maiden. So, as I said, he’s the best maidener going around Australia probably until today. He proved himself worthy of Howard (Wilson’s) and my opinion of him.

“Look, we got back and I knew he had to be really good to pick them up from there. Like, a lot of horses will dart to them, get to them, and then not be able to go on with the job ... where he made a 400m run and was able to go on with it. You even seen at probably the hundred it looked like, as I said, a normal horse would have got there and thought ‘oh bugger’ and run second. But when I got stuck into him he got on with job and he won the race.

“I think he is a really nice horse. I know people were saying before the race in the enclosure that he doesn’t look like he has matured yet. I’m sort of sitting on top of him thinking, geez I dunno if this horse is right to win today, but it just goes to show how good his ability is.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Fifteen Carat): 3.20 out to 3.30.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Get Uppity (B. Stewart) jumped away awkwardly. Lucky Dubai (K. Wharton) over-raced in the early stages.

B. Pengelly reported that at its most recent start Marine Gardens had failed to finish the race off as well as he would have liked. Bearing this in mind, he attempted to ride the filly with a sit today. B. Pengelly added that he was again disappointed with the way the filly finished the race off and after discussions with connections he indicated to stewards that the horse's races would be limited to 1200m.

Stewards sought an explanation from G. Colless in respect to the performance of Sarge In Charge. G. Colless stated that the horse had a tendency to over-race in the early stages and he was unable to obtain cover and as a result raced three wide for the entirety of the event.

G. Colless added that when he placed Sarge In Charge under pressure, in his opinion the horse did not feel comfortable in its action and proved disappointing. Trainer L. Birchley advised stewards that the horse was bred to stay and that due to this he had been stepping the horse up in distance. However, after its last two performances, indicated that he would now review the horse's program.

L. Birchley further stated that after discussions with Glen Colless he would now have the horse's feet x-rayed and report to the stewards any adverse finding. A post-race veterinary examination of Sarge In Charge failed to reveal any abnormalities.

J. Holder, the rider of Crystal Honour, reported that the horse lost its footing at the start and as a result was slowly away. J. Holder stated that he had been instructed to take a forward position, however as a result of horses moving inwards forward of him he was unable to take up a position as close to the lead as he would have liked. He added that the horse travelled comfortably midfield, however in his opinion did not finish the race off as well as expected.

Stewards sought an explanation from B. Stewart as to the performance of Get Uppity. B. Stewart stated that the horse jumped away awkwardly and as a result was positioned further back in the field than he anticipated, however when the pace increased passing the 500m Get Uppity failed to respond to his riding and in the straight finished a distant last. Trainer D. Duryea stated that after discussions with B. Stewart she would immediately send the horse for a spell. A post-race veterinary examination of Get Uppity failed to reveal any abnormalities.

Fantastic Blue (L. Cassidy) twisted the off-hind plate after the event.

More articles