DOOM DEC 05 - SEESAWING’S FINELY TIMED FINISH

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, December 7, 2009

Doomben, December 5, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 6 Handicap (4yo and up) - 1650m. Time: 1-36.17.
1 Seesawing; 2 Athenas Gift; 3 Dubai To Sydney.

Trainer Kelly Schweida landed his second success on the card (and made it race-to-race wins) when Seesawing produced a telling finish to claim her fifth race victory in her twenty-first start. It was the mare’s second win from her last three outings.

Jockey Jim Byrne positioned Seesawing just worse than midfield for much of the running as Athenas Gift and Dubai To Sydney cut out a useful early gallop. Byrne got to work on the four-year-old approaching the turn, but the duo still had plenty of work to do as they straightened up four wide in sixth spot some four lengths off the leader.

There was no let up from Athenas Gift and Dubai To Sydney as they continued to set the target all the way up the home straight and Byrne had to earn his percentage as he worked overtime in the saddle trying to get Seesawing into the contest.

Seesawing did respond to Byrne’s urgings, but there was no stunning acceleration as she had to cope with the steadying burden of 57.5kg. Rather there was a gradual building of momentum which brought Seesawing into contention and, in the end, it turned out to be an inch perfect performance as Seesawing snared Athenas Gift in the finals strides to win by a head.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “She did well ... 57.5kg, you know. We always knew that the worry was the pace of the race. He (Jim Byrne) rode her a treat. No, it was a good effort. She’s a really tough little filly.

“She’ll run in a fortnight in a 2000m race and then she’ll have three weeks to get over that. It is probably going to be pretty hot over Christmas and she’ll probably have a couple of days up at my place just to get over it. Then she’ll come back to the 1800m at the Gold Coast. I mean she’s got a proven record of winning after three weeks break, so hopefully it should go well.

“I am pretty sure she will run 2000 as long as she doesn’t get a wet track. She just has no luck on a wet track. So yeah, definitely 2000. The 1800 is probably a good distance for her. She is proven at the mile. But yeah look, I don’t see why not. She relaxes. Jimmy said you could put her anywhere.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “Today we kind of squeezed her a little bit more early than you normally would only because there wasn’t that much tempo in the race. As it turned out they went a bit quicker than I anticipated.

“Most of the time to actually get that sort of acceleration out of them you’ve got to leave them be early. As I said today I had to squeeze her a bit more than I would have liked but, you know, to her credit ... 57kg ... you know, she run home in sub 34. Good effort.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Seesawing): 3.00 out to 3.50. Equal favourite.
Equal Favourite (Dubai To Sydney): 3.50 out to 3.70 in to 3.50.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
ASHLEE'S JEWELL was declared a late scratching at 1.10 pm after the mare injured itself in its race day stall.

R. Goltz reported that, in his opinion, Channel Crossing failed to back up from its most recent start at Eagle Farm on 28 November.