EF DEC 02 - FAST FLEET SAILS TO VICTORY

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Thursday, December 3, 2009

Eagle Farm, December 2, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 11.5m.
Maiden Plate - 1500m. Time: 1.31.28.
1 Fast Fleet; 2 Indeed I Am; 3 Cotham.

Trainer Jamie Nielsen continued his recent run of success when he sent out the well-supported Fast Fleet to score a decisive victory.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock jumped into the lead early but jockey Jim Byrne was then happy to let Shrewd Hostess take up the running as he settled Fast Fleet into a comfortable rhythm in second place, one-out, just a length off the front-runner.

Fast Fleet quickly dispatched Shrewd Hostess early in the straight and then kicked on strongly to the line. Fast Fleet’s market rival Cotham and Indeed I Am chased on best of the rest, but they were never doing enough to seriously trouble the winner who came home to a solid victory.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Jamie Nielsen: “It was a small field mate. It was going to suit us. It was just a matter of tactics and whether we got the right run. Today she had a good run and it worked out well.

“They’ll just go through their classes mate. We win these maidens in town then just keep trying to get them through their class. Yeah, we try to get Jim (Byrne) whenever we can. He’s been a regular on our winner’s lately.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “Probably get another hundred metres out of her, you know. Full credit to them. It wasn’t a big field, but she’s definitely fought on really strong to the line.

“She was a little bit uptight early on, but she relaxed really well in the run. You know, to be perfectly honest, if she started to venture a little bit further there would be no problem with her relaxing because she relaxes really well."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Fast Fleet): 3.00 in to 2.60.
Favourite (Cotham): 1.90 out to 2.40. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Fast Fleet (J. Byrne) began awkwardly. Cotham (S. Katsidis) and Indeed I Am (M. Cahill) were both inclined to over-race in the early stages. Shrewd Hostess (L. Cassidy) was caught wide in the early stages of the event.

M. Cahill rider of Indeed I Am pleaded guilty to a charge under the provisions of AR137A(5)(a)(ii) in that he used his whip on more than the permitted number of occasions prior to the 100m. M. Cahill was fined the sum of $200.00.