EF NOV 21 - BEARTRACKER WEARS THEM DOWN

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

Eagle Farm, November 21, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Quality Handicap - 2400m. Time: 2-29.32.
1 Beartracker; 2 Fort ‘N’ Won; 3 Body Double.

Jockey Jason Holder rated the Robert Heathcote trained Beartracker in a comfortable third place behind Brilliant Ween and Fort ‘N’ Won for almost a complete circuit of the track. When Brilliant Ween cried enough early in the straight and Fort ‘N’ Won surged to the lead, Beartracker was perfectly placed to strike.

Fort ‘N’ Won and Beartracker matched strides briefly but the latter had his head in front by the 200m mark and, with nothing coming on from behind, Holder could measure his final run to the line, doing enough to shut-out any possible fight-back by Fort ‘N’ Won to win by length.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “Yeah no, that was a nice little win, the irony being it’s his last win for me. He’s being transferred to another trainer. I think he is going to Eden Petrie I believe.

“That’s the last one to race for me from the syndicate. He (Rob McGown Thoroughbreds) has had up to a dozen horses with me, maybe even more. The reason for the split is certainly not one I want to divulge here. We’ve had a long and very successful association and we’re parting amicably.

“But no, he’s been a good little horse. In any case I said to the owners, you know, he’s had forty-odd starts and he’s been in the money for over half of them and the fact that he has had twelve seconds is testimony that he’s always there, always give 100 per cent.

“It was a nice ride today, things just worked out well. The horse showed a little bit of speed ... jumped out ... sat on the bunny ... sat third on the fence, peeled out at the right time and did the job nicely.

“He’s always shown that he’ll stay. Look at the end of the day these races, they’re not top drawer races, but there is a place for them on our calendar and this horse has stepped up with a couple of nice runs lately.

“That’s the race we have set him for early on. He’s been an honest horse. We tend to look at his races and tend to think that every week there is a different result, but I think if you look at this horse’s record over the last couple years he has been very consistent. He has been in the money over half of his starts and that was a good solid win today and a nice ride from Jason (Holder).

“We’ve looked after him a little bit because if you look at him he is a little on the light side and he’s the type of horse that only really came into himself as a six year-old. He has probably still has a couple nice preparations still left in him."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Beartracker): 5.00 steady.
The winner was equal favourite.
Equal favourite (Drumshanbo): 4.80 out to 5.00. Finished sixth.
Equal favourite (Roys Legacy): 5.00 steady. Finished ninth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
My Counsel (A. Pattillo) was slow to begin. J. Byrne, the rider of Body Double, was reprimanded under AR. 137(a) for permitting his mount to shift in passing the winning post on the first occasion resulting in Drumshanbo having to be steadied.

After issuing a charge of careless riding against B. Stewart, the rider of Roy's Legacy, for carelessly permitting his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Emerald Hill (S. Katsidis) near the 700m, resulting in Emerald Hill having to be steadied, stewards did not proceed with the charge after taking further evidence from S. Katsidis and submissions from B. Stewart. Nonetheless, stewards reprimanded B. Stewart and reminded him of his obligations under the rules to ride with due care.

Stewards sought an explanation from L. Cassidy and trainer M. Nolan in respect to the tactics adopted on Drumshanbo in the early stages where the horse settled further back in the field than anticipated. L. Cassidy explained that he had been instructed to ride the horse with cover and shortly after the start he positioned Drumshanbo on the back of Roy's Legacy as he expected that horse to take up a forward position.

L. Cassidy added that after being tightened for room passing the winning post on the first occasion Drumshanbo was inclined to over-race. However, L. Cassidy explained that Drumshanbo failed to respond to his riding from the 600m and was disappointing. Trainer M. Nolan confirmed the instructions issued to L. Cassidy and added that he was extremely disappointed in the horse's performance and advised that he would spell the horse immediately.