DOOM DEC 05 - RAISE UP LIFTS HER GAME

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Sunday, December 6, 2009

Doomben, December 5, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
2yo QTIS 600 Handicap - 1110m. Time: 1-05.03.
1 Raise Up; 2 Seven Wonders; 3 High Chancellor.

The Kelly Schweida trained Raise Up landed an eye-catching victory here - her first success from three starts.

The chestnut landed in the lead but was reluctant to retain that role and jockey Damian Browne was happy to let High Chancellor and Seven Wonders take up the running while he settled Raise Up in third place on the inside running rail.

The two leaders joined issue with meaning early in the straight. At that stage Raise Up was in danger of being caught in a dead-end as he was positioned right behind the battle for the lead with little room to manoeuvre as Big Ken The Celt and Catalan Miss raced along her outside.

The break came for Raise Up when both Big Ken the Celt and Catalan Miss failed to go on with it. As they weakened, Raise Up was able to switch out into clear running inside the final 180m and she then proceeded to run down High Chancellor and Seven Wonders under a typically measured ride from Damian Browne to score by 0.50 lengths.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “She’s only a little light thing. If she pulls up well she’ll go round again, if not she’ll just go out. I mean, it’s just incredible money isn’t it?” They are really good those (QTIS) races, $52,000 a win, you know ... but it just depends how she pulls up are far as what she’ll do next.”

Jockey Damien Browne: “She found the line nicely over 1000m last time and the 1100 here, plus the fact she now has race day experience, you know, told in the end. I was always fairly confident she would find the line when she got out. I sort of just had to be a little bit patient until the opening arose and thankfully it did. “

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Raise Up): 3.00 out to 3.30.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Big Ken The Celt lost its near-hind plate in the enclosure. Upon its arrival at the barriers the on-course farrier attempted to re-attach the plate however was unable to do so due to the horse being fractious. In the circumstances, stewards permitted Big Ken The Celt to race bare-footed on both hind legs.

Jockey D. Brown reported that Raise Up raced greenly in the early stages of the race. Passing the 800m, Raise Up over-raced for some distance at the heels of High Chancellor (M. Speers). Big Ken The Celt (S. Katsidis) raced three wide throughout.

S. Katsidis, rider of Big Ken The Celt, reported that after being obliged to race wide in the early stages he decided to restrain his mount in an endeavour to take up a position closer to the rails, however he was unable to do so due to Catalan Miss (J. Holder) maintaining a position one off to his inside.

S. Katsidis added at the same stage the pace of the race slowed and he felt it was best to allow the horse to maintain momentum and progress forward. S. Katsidis further added that the finishing effort of Big Ken The Celt over the concluding stages was good bearing in mind it was obliged to race three wide throughout the event.