DOOM DEC 05 - CRYSTAL HONOUR SCORES EMPHATIC WIN

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

Doomben, December 5, 2009.
3yo QTIS Handicap - 1615m. Time: 1-36.78.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
1 Crystal Honour; 2 Dusty’s Felt; 3 Bella Sirena.

The Robert Heathcote trained Crystal Honour defied her double figure odds to come home like a good thing to claim her second career win in her tenth start. The result gave Heathcote a double at the meeting.

The filly received a bump at the start which compromised here early progress, but jockey Stathi Katsidis soon had his mount settled and they raced in midfield in ninth position on the rail until the sweep to the turn.

With Katisidis ensuring that the three-year-old continued to save ground on the turn, Crystal Honour was up to sixth place on straightening and starting to quicken her tempo. By the 250m Crystal Honour only had the duelling front-runners Fantastic Blue and Craiglea Blondie in front of her and they proved to be easy fodder as Katsidis simply drove Crystal Honour straight through the gap between Fantastic Blue and Craiglea Blondie to leave them behind in a matter of strides, taking them out of the equation with the minimum of fuss.

Dusty’s Felt ran on well late, as did Bella Sirena out wide, but their efforts were only good enough for second and third placing respectively as Crystal Honour proved far too good for her rivals on the day.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Rob Heathcote: “I have to say I am just happy for my owners actually, because Rob, Jason, and Matt Pfitzner from Action Thoroughbreds ... they run a racing syndication group ... and this is their first win major win for me, even though we have had a few city wins.

“I’ve always liked her. Do you remember that nice horse Taffy that ran a couple of cheeky races in the Winter Carnival? He beat us a head or a neck at Ipswich (in a Maiden) and then he went on and performed really well in the Winter Carnival. I always knew this filly had a bit of a future.

“She is probably going to be... I thought she was going to be my staying Oaks prospect early on. But she’s a little bit ... I don’t know, she has mental issues ... like a lot of Honours List fillies seem to have.

“But you know Stathi (Katsidis).... our plan was to go out and go forward and lead. She was hampered at the start (see Stewards Report), but full credit to Stathi he just put her to sleep back seventh or eighth on the fence. He didn’t panic and came through them and I always knew her strength, and fortunately I am pleased to say her ability got her home. It’s been a bloody good day.

“We’ll probably give her another run. There is a 2000m race in a fortnight, she’ll definitely go there. Then put her away and set her for the staying fillies races.”

Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “Yeah, when I rode her Melbourne Cup day, you know, I led, got a soft lead and it was an okay win. I said to them, look when you put her away and bring her back she will be a nice horse. Her Maiden win was okay, but allowing for natural improvement I thought she might run a place in one of these races.

“I never expected her to be winning a Saturday race already and doing it so easily. That’s why I was having quite the long talk over, just explaining how much the filly has improved. She has improved six lengths at least on that Maiden win and she’ll improve on that again after today.

“I think what it shows is that she may have been looking for the mile even last start (when she raced over 1400m). Rob (Heathcote) has a 2000m race for her next start, and look, that’s going to be right up her alley. Barring bad luck or, you know, something really, really good in it, you still reckon she’d be winning that race.

“But, after the next run they will probably want to tip her out and get her ready for the Oaks. I’m thinking she is a possible Oaks campaigner for next season.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Crystal Honour): 10.00 out to 12.00.
Favourite (Fantastic Blue): 5.50 out to 6.00 in to 5.00.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Craiglea Rocket (A. Pattillo) shifted out at the start and made contact with the hind quarters of Crystal Honour resulting in S. Katsidis, rider of Crystal Honour, becoming unbalanced. Coroner (P. Hammersley) jumped away awkwardly. Millenium Hawk (B. Pengelly) was tightened for room on jumping away between Sanderson (M. Speers) and Proof Reader (M. Hellyer), both of which shifted ground.

Rounding the first turn, Stallone (B. Stewart) commenced to over-race and when being steadied from the heels of Coroner (P. Hammersley) shifted in, resulting in Crystal Honour having to be steadied. Finx (S. Seamer) raced three wide throughout.

When questioned, jockey L. Cassidy explained that he had been instructed to ride Fantastic Blue in a position just off the speed, and from the mile start he was of the opinion that there would be pace on to the first turn and had hoped to be able to gain a position in the early stages behind the leaders.

L. Cassidy further explained that he was unable to achieve this and was trapped three wide without cover into the back straight, and therefore he elected to allow Fantastic Blue to improve forward to the leading position. L. Cassidy further stated that, in the circumstances, the performance of the gelding had merit.

Stewards sought an explanation from K. Wharton, rider of Craiglea Blondie, regarding the tactics he employed on the filly today, in particular the reasons he left a position on the rails behind Fantastic Blue leaving the 700m and progressed forward to race outside that horse. K. Wharton stated that at filly's previous start it did not accelerate when asked for an effort and with that in mind he felt that the horse would be better suited ridden forward from the 700m. He added that, in his opinion, the horse had shown to him during its recent racing that it may develop into a stayer.

A post-race veterinary examination of Coroner failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.