EF NOV 21 - JASMINKA WINS AGAIN

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

Eagle Farm, November 21, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 6 Handicap - 1600m. Time: 1-34.59.
1 Jasminka; 2 Currumbin Rock; 3 Seesawing.

The Brian Smith trained Jasminka wasn’t that accommodating when the runners were left waiting in the stalls after loading too quickly and he reared up sending jockey Larry Cassidy tumbling out the back of the barriers. The mare jumped smartly enough after being reloaded and Cassidy was able to settle her in a handy fourth place as the unbeaten Really Wicked tried to make every post a winning one.

The leader still had plenty of fight turning for home. Jasminka was up to third on straightening and the mare took time to build momentum ... but build momentum she did. Approaching the 200m mark she passed the weakening Aquaterra to move into second place and she had moved into the lead with 180m left to run.

Getting the better of the early frontrunner Really Wicked was not the only task though. Currumbin Rock posed a serious threat to Jasminka. Currumbin Rock had raced in midfield before moving on to the back of Jasminka as the field turned for home.

Currumbin Rock then mirrored Jasminka’s forward move. Jasminka appeared to be comfortably holding Currumbin Rock halfway up the straight, but the Les Kelly trained runner refused to go away and Currumbin Rock came back again in the closing stages to get the margin down to a short-neck at the line.

This was Jasminka’s second successive win.

Credit jockey Larry Cassidy with a powerful ride in difficult circumstances. After taking that tumble at the start, Cassidy pulled up sore and was stood down for the remainder of the meeting.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brian Smith: “Larry (Cassidy) must have got annoyed with her when she played up in the barrier. He had to dig her out. That was a good effort really. She hasn’t done a lot of racing (this was Jasminka’s eighth start). Class 6 in Brisbane ... I rate it if you can win a Class 6 in Brisbane you can go anywhere.

“I’ll wait and see how she pulls up. I wouldn’t be travelling her yet with this hot weather ... also because she showed a little bit of a temperament over at the start. Hot weather and mares, you know, you are running a risk. They can be a bit ticklish and she showed that today, but I liked the way she put her head out halfway down the straight. She is a good filly.

“She’s a very promising filly in the making. You know there are big fillies’ races in Sydney I think she can really compete in during March and April and then come back for the big one here. She’ll get a mile-and-a-quarter. I think she’s got it all before here.

“She winning now, but she has always shown potential. She showed it back at Warwick Farm (in August) when she was five or six deep in the race won by that very good mare (Samantha Miss in the Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes). I think she could end up being a really good mare herself.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “I suppose you could say she is a typical female on a hot day. She gets cranky and she was really cranky today. She nearly flipped over (in the barriers) and sort of got caught over the back of the gates. I was sort of hanging out over the back of the gates and the barrier attendants helped me ... good blokes they are. Without them you’d be lost.

“She did it well in the end. She was always well placed, but, you know what, that’s not really the way to ride her. I think she’s probably better coming from off the speed because she has really got a powerful finish ... but, after doing that in the gates, I wanted to make sure she got out and put herself in a spot, so I was more than happy to go that way today.

“She’s an improving type. Look, I’m sure down the track she can win a good race.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jasminka): 2.80 in to 2.50 out to 2.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed when Jasminka, which was fractious in the barrier stalls, had to be withdrawn from the barriers, examined by the Club's veterinary surgeon and subsequently passed fit to start. In the incident, L. Cassidy was dislodged from Jasminka. Subsequent to the event, L. Cassidy was examined by the Club's doctor who advised stewards that L. Cassidy was not fit to fulfil the remainder of his engagements.

Sir Kingsford (M. Hughes) was slow to begin. Aquaterra (D. Browne) and Jasminka (L. Cassidy) made contact on jumping away. Iguazu (L. Rolls) and Showciti (B. Stewart) both raced wide throughout.

Stewards sought an explanation from D. Browne in respect to the performance of Aquaterra. D. Browne explained that he was obliged to race wide until a point approaching the 800m and whilst this may have had an effect on the horse's capacity to finish the race off, he felt that Aquaterra may have difficulty running out the mile.