EF NOV 21 - TWO-IN-A-ROW FOR GAG ORDER

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

Eagle Farm, November 21, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 6 Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-09.59.
1 Gag Order; 2 Agnes Dream; 3 Steel Lips.

Trainer Liam Birchley’s day continued to improve here. After the disappointing performance of Sarge In Charge in the first race and a runner-up result with Wandering Star in the second event, Birchley found himself in the winners’ enclosure after the running of the third race on the card which was taken out in impressive fashion by the four-year-old mare Gag Order.

Gag Order was caught four wide in the early part and apprentice jockey Mitchell Speers elected to allow the chestnut to slide forward around her field and she went up to share the lead with Mosstang without using too much petrol.

These two runners, Mosstang on the rail and Gag Order one out, took the field to the turn with Cat D’Antibes and Agnes Dream racing hard on their heels.

Mosstang weakened early in the straight as Gag Order stepped up the pressure and attempted to kick away. Agnes Dream was quick to match that move, but although Agnes Dream stayed with the mare, he was unable to make any inroads into the lead she enjoyed as Gag Order never faltered on her way to securing a victory by a length. Gag Order has now recorded two wins from two starts this prep.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Liam Birchley: “Yeah, we’ve often had the apprentices on her. It just seemed to work out that way. There is no particular reason for it. The kids rode her a bit early and it went well for them so I kept persevering.

“She had an injury her first-up run last prep. That’s why it was a bit all over the place. Hopefully now with the break she’ll put everything together.” (Gag Order was spelled after her run on August 12 and she returned to action when winning at her previous start on November 7).

“Initially I am going to probably back her up next week in a stakes race for fillies and mares and just see where she levels out there. You know, it all depends on how well she is going to settle. She’s not the best in that department, so we mightn’t be able to get too far.”

Jockey Mitchell Speers: “She just sort of got on the bit a bit, you know, and she wasn’t going to slow down. I was four wide and they slowed down a bit, so I just got around them and she travelled good out there. She was too good for them today.

“Yeah, having made that decision to go forward, I thought, if I get run down I might be in some trouble, but she didn’t (get run down).
“She just came out and copped a check. She was going to be back and wide, so I just thought I’d just go forward and see what happens.

“She won pretty good sitting outside the leader at the Gold Coast one day and they just sort of started to slow up so I just made the decision to go forward and luckily it worked out. Yeah she just kept kicking. She is pretty smart.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Gag Order): 3.80 in to 3.60 out to 3.70.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Gag Order (M. Speers) jumped away awkwardly and had to be steadied shortly after when tightened for room between Meet George (J. Holder) and Agnes Dream (S. Seamer), which shifted in. Deltarara (P. Hammersley) jumped away awkwardly. Silvern (J. Byrne) was slow to begin.

J. Byrne, rider of Silvern, reported that when racing wide approaching and rounding the first turn the gelding commenced to hang out and continued to do so until entering the home straight. This resulted in him being unable to obtain a position with cover and being obliged to race four wide throughout the event. A post-race veterinary examination of Silvern failed to reveal any abnormalities.

J. Wood, the rider of Steel Lips, reported that he had difficulty obtaining clear running when racing to the inside of Silvern, behind and at the heels of Agnes Dream between the 350m and the 200m.

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