EF DEC 12 - JANZEN GETS HIS DUE REWARD

By Graham Potter | Monday, December 14, 2009

Eagle Farm, December 12, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 1m.
Phelan Ready Stakes (2yo C & G - Set Weights) - 1000m. Time: 57.64.
1 Jantzen; 2 Spirit Of Boom; 3 Ghostnthedarkness.

The name of the race might have changed (from the JF Meynick Stakes to the Phelan Ready Stakes) but that doesn’t detract in any way from the fact that the Helen Page/ Jason Taylor combination made it back to back wins in this important Listed race for two-year-olds (colts and geldings). Taylor in fact went one better. It was his third successive win in the race.

Taylor jumped Jantzen into an immediate lead, but he was kept close company by General Shareef and Eungai Lad who were right up with the leader on straightening. Janzen continued to hold those two closest rivals at bay in the first half of the straight before dismissing them altogether inside the final 150m.

But a new threat had emerged. Spirit Of Boom had been back in sixth place at the top of the straight. He was full of running and, when he switched out into the clear just inside the 400m, he was in a position to launch his challenge. The colt did take time to build momentum, but once in full stride he surged forward to race up alongside Jantzen. For a moment it looked like Spirit Of Boom would go straight past the Helen Page trained runner, but Jantzen dug deep and refused to give ground.

Over the final 100m these two runners raced locked together in a head-bobbing duel with Jantzen always holding an advantage by the narrowest of margins and that’s how they got to the line where Jantzen prevailed by a short-half-head margin.

WINNERS FEEDBACK:
Trainer Helen Page: “I won this race last year (with Double Heart) ... same jockey.

“He (Janzen) got beaten a nose and a nose in his first two starts. He did a little bit wrong. He is not the easiest horse to ride. He’s electric. He is a bit of a hot-head.

“Previously ... in his first start he was a bit silly in the barriers. They had to wait a bit and he reared. The last start he was a bit keen in front taking on another horse. He’s learning. There is a lot of improvement in him. He’s developed ... you can have a look at him.

I’ve had him in the paddock. Since his last start he’s had two weeks at Kolora Lodge. He’s been back with me for a fortnight. He hasn’t had a great deal of galloping ... just a couple of easy gallops because of the hot weather. So there is a lot of improvement in him.

“We are setting him for the Magic Millions. He will run again before that, but I’m not quite sure where that will be yet. I’ll play that by ear. We’ll will pick and choose where we go.

“I made a mistake I think last year with Double Heart ... not giving him a little let-up coming into the Magic Millions, so I’ve given this one a let-up now. I’m aiming him for the Magic Millions. This was just a bonus.

Jockey Jason Taylor: “First-up he struck a pretty smart horse ... that filly of Alan Bailey’s (De Lago Bloom). Then last start he just got terrorised a bit out in front ... but no today things worked out nice for him.

“Yeah, he is a go forward sort of horse. You know he can get in behind them and relax if you want him to, but it just seemed to be a race of first-starters ... you know. It was a bit of an unknown with a lot of them ... so I thought my best option is to bounce him out, give him a dig ... and if he wants to lead just let him do what he wants to do.

“He led and cruised. He sort of cruised as equal leader. Then he pulled his way to the lead. I nursed him a little bit until straightening. I nursed him as long as I could. They came at him. I did think, oh no not again (referring to Janzen’s two narrow runner-up finishes), but he kicked strongly in the straight. He knows where the line is. It was a good solid win. He’ll keep improving too.

“That’s three wins in a row in the race for me now. Acorns, Double Heart and this one.”

This race was formerly known as the J F Meynick Stakes and Jason Taylor’s treble has an unusual twist to it. Because of the revised racing schedule that was a consequence of EI, there were two running of the J F Meynick Stakes in 2008 and Taylor won both of them, firstly aboard Acorns on March 1, 2008 and then on Double Heart in the race’s normal timeslot in December. This latest victory on Janzen gave Taylor a hat-trick in the race.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Janzen): 3.30 out to 3.50 in to 3.20.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
A pre race veterinary examination of General Shareef cleared the horse to start.

L. Cassidy, rider of Ghostnthdarkness, reported that his mount jumped away awkwardly and lost ground due to being fractious in the barriers.

Near the 800m, I'd Do Anything (K. O'Hara), which was racing greenly, was reluctant to hold its position between General Shareef (S. Katsidis) and Spirit Of Boom (K. Banks). Eungai Lad (J. Bowditch) raced three wide throughout.