EF NOV 25 - CORONER DISECTS THE OPPOSITION

By Graham Potter | Friday, November 27, 2009

Eagle Farm, November 25, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 10.5m.
Class 3 Plate (Set Weights) - 1500m. Time: 1-29.97.
1 Coroner; 2 Frangelico; 3 Toy Ruler.

The Troy Hall trained Coroner took charge of proceedings soon after the start and, although his authority was challenged all the way down the home straight, the three-year-old never faltered and he went to the line strongly to hold all challengers at bay.

Jockey Paul Hammersley pushed Coroner into the lead early and then settled into a comfortable gallop hugging the rail. The gelding was tracked throughout by Frangelico (on the outside) and Aqua Calda (on the rail) with Irishkiwi and Toy Ruler also racing prominently.

These runners maintained their station until the turn. On straightening though, it was race on. Coroner had a kick. Frangelico likewise quickened up nicely and moved forward to pressure the leader. Aqua Calda raced in restricted room on the inside and began to lose momentum while Toy Ruler shifted Irishkiwi out of his way as he too looked to improve.

In the end, Coroner left them all chasing as he maintained a solid effort to see off the persistent challenge of Frangelico by 0,50 lengths with the equally game Toy Ruler a further half-neck back in third placing.

This was Coroner’s second win from seven starts. The gelding also has three minor placings to his credit.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Troy Hall: “Larry Cassidy and Stathi (Katsidis) rode him in his last two runs and they both said the same thing ... he just wants to look at the other horses.

“They both said we probably should try and lead with him. So those were the instructions. Paul (Hammersley) pushed him out of the gate. He settles lovely. We really think he is going to run ten furlongs, eleven furlongs this horse, so that is what we will do now.

“We’ll go a mile at Doomben on Saturday week. Then 2000 at Doomben a fortnight later, then we are going to freshen him up and set him for the Grand Prix. That’s a very nice 2100m at Eagle Farm and, with a little bit more maturity, he might be a hope in a race like that.”

Jockey Paul Hammersley: “That was the instructions to send him out early. Troy (Hall) said to go out with the intention to lead ... if not, to be there somewhere on the pace. Troy knew his horse and I just did my job and rode to instructions.

“He was always going fairly well. He did want to hang out a little under pressure. I could hear the other one (Frangelico) coming, but yeah, he was always going fairly well ... the only thing was he wanted to get out a little bit.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Coroner): 5.00 out to 5.50 in to 4.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Royal Hope (J. Taylor) was cramped for room near the 800m when racing inside Wannabeawallaby (S. Katsidis). Irishkiwi pulled hard in the early stages.

Leaving the 300m Toy Ruler (A. Spinks), after shifting out to improve, made contact with Irishkiwi (J. Byrne) forcing that horse out onto Taj Paru (App J. Wood), which had to shift out. Royal Hope had difficulty obtaining clear running until inside the 200m.

Stewards questioned L. Cassidy regarding the disappointing performance of Aqua Calda which did not finish the race off over the concluding stages. L. Cassidy was at a loss to offer any relevant explanation however, was of the opinion that the horse may be better suited racing outside of horses rather than racing to the inside.

Trainer B. Baldwin agreed that the horse may be better suited racing either leading or racing outside of horses and that he intended to bring the horse back in distance and would also consider dropping it in class. A post race veterinary examination of Aqua Calda failed to reveal any abnormality.

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