EF DEC 19 - GHETTO BLASTER’S EXPLOSIVE FINISH

By Graham Potter | Sunday, December 20, 2009

Doomben, December 19, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
Lough Neagh Stakes (Listed - Quality) - 1350m. Time: 1-18.54.
1 Ghetto Blaster; 2 Zero Rock; 3 Kenny's World.

The featured Lough Neagh Stakes produced a nail-biting finish as the Gillian Heinrich trained Ghetto Blaster cut down Zero Rock in the final strides to claim an important victory in this Listed event.

The six-year-old gelding had an awkward passage from his wide draw. He was caught wide early when racing a little bit better than midfield and jockey Brad Stewart had little option but to keep Ghetto Blaster three to four wide in the sweep to the turn.

Not that that was necessarily a bad thing in a large field where traffic congestion was always a worry. Stewart had taken that disadvantage out of the equation by bringing Ghetto Blaster into clear running on straightening, but the gelding still had it all to do as he cornered in tenth place some five to six lengths off the lead. With no time to waste, Stewart urged Ghetto Blaster into action and his response was immediate.

Zero Rock was the target. The mare had taken the lead away from Zahas Pride early in the straight and she was being hounded by Kenny’s World in a two-way battle up front. Ghetto Blaster was on fire now though and he cut back the deficit with every stride.

By the 200m mark Zero Rock, who was holding Kenny’s World, was 2.50 lengths ahead of Ghetto Blaster. By the 100m mark, the chase was down to a length, but Zero Rock was fighting on strongly and was giving nothing away. Both of these runners went to the line, toe to toe, swinging punches until the final bell where the result went the way of Ghetto Blaster who got up to win by a nose.

This was Ghetto Blaster’s ninth win from eighteen starts, giving him an enviable strike-rate and a more than useful bank balance of a little under $420000 in stake earnings.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gillian Heinrich: “He really did deserve it. He’s been a great horse for us, so it was fantastic to watch him win today. What a gem. I did think we got beaten. We were sitting on the wrong angle up there. I thought we went down.

“There are two options as to where we go next. He can go to a mile race or he can go to the 1300m Goldmarket at the coast. I’m not ruling out the mile. I want to sleep on it. I’m going to have a think about it ... see how he pulls up ... have a bit of chat to Brad (Stewart) about it. It’s just that it might be good to go to the Goldmarket at the coast with him. I can go to the mile another time.”

Jockey Brad Stewart: “He relaxed good ... got out at the right time. He was due to win. He’s been plagued by bad barriers. He didn’t have the best barrier today neither, but it worked out alright. You, know, he deserved it. I thought I’d won but we were wide apart so I wasn’t getting ready to go up or anything.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Ghetto Blaster): 5.00 out to 5.50.
Favourite (Zero Rock): 4.60 out to 4.80. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Voice Commander (T. Angland) jumped inwards at the start, making contact with Baqaba (L. Cassidy). Sommersea Drive (O. Turpin) began awkwardly.

Shortly after the start, Steel Lips (J. Wood) shifted in and was obliged to be steadied off the heels of Forestreno (J. Bowditch).

Jockey B. Pengelly, rider of Zero Rock, was reprimanded for permitting his mount to shift in approaching the 800m, taking Voice Commander ((T. Angland) in on to Forestreno (J. Bowditch), which had to be steadied.

Leaving the 800m, Steel Lips (J. Wood) became awkward at the heels of Barlinnie (S. Katsidis) and when being restrained shifted out, resulting in Eire Of Magic (L. Rolls) having to be checked. Forestreno (J. Bowditch) was held up rounding the home turn and until a point near the 300m. Upon straightening, Steel Lips (J. Wood) had to be steadied when tightened for room between Eire Of Magic (L. Rolls) and Hard To Catch, which was taken out by Soulima.

Heart Of The Citi (S. Scriven), Kenny's World (M. Palmer), Soulima (S. Seamer), Sommersea Drive (O. Turpin) and Hard To Catch (J. Holder) all raced wide for the majority of the event. Barlinnie was held up and unable to improve rounding the home turn.

Jockey A. Pattillo, rider of Regal Castanea, reported that he was disappointed for clear running in the early stages of the straight, and approaching the 100m he was able to gain a run to the inside of Bold Glance (K. Banks), however he again had to take hold when that horse shifted in, taking his mount in on to the tiring Zahas Pride (J. Byrne). A. Pattillo added that he was unable to fully test the horse at any stage during the home straight.

Baqaba (L. Cassidy) had difficulty obtaining clear running in the straight until near the 200m.

T. Angland, rider of Voice Commander, advised stewards that the horse, in his opinion, had raced dour since the removal of winkers and he had recommended to connections that the winkers be reapplied for its next start.