EF DEC 19 - DEER VALLEY BLOWS THEM AWAY

By Graham Potter | Sunday, December 20, 2009

Doomben, December 19, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
3yo QTIS Handicap - 1010m. Time: 57.88.
1 Deer Valley; 2 Startling Pleasure; 3 Al Mazaya.

The Steele Ryan trained Deer Valley turned in an exceptional performance when coming with a barnstorming run from behind to snare the free-running Startling Pleasure to win going away by 0.50 lengths.

Deer Valley was resuming here in her first run for the Ryan stable and was racing over a distance short of her best. Any doubt that punters had with regard to those two aspects of her return was overshadowed by the quality of performance that she displayed in her previous prep under the care of trainer Chris Waller and the filly started a clear favourite at $2.25.

Her last four runs in Sydney resulted in a win in a Group 3 event when beating Melito in the Silver Shadow Stakes over 1200m in a finish tinged with controversy regarding whip use, a fifth placing in the Group 2 Furious Stakes over 1400m when 1.50 lengths behind Melito, a third placing in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes over 1500m when 2.30 lengths off More Joyous and, last but not least, a highly creditable fifth placing in Group 1 company when finishing only 1.50 lengths behind More Joyous in the Flight Stakes.

Her prowess was thus not in question, but the task was nevertheless an awkward one and it became a little bit more complicated in the first half of the race when, after an ordinary start, Deer Valley raced well out of her ground all the way to the turn. Deer Valley was still second last approaching the corner with all of ten lengths to make up on Startling Pleasure who was showing no signs of stopping at the head of affairs.

There was a further moment of delay while apprentice jockey Justin Wood weighed up what appeared to be limited options. The wait was worthwhile though as a straight-ahead split between runners was offered to Deer Valley at the 200m mark, but that still seemed to be of only marginal consequence as the filly was still seven lengths off the action.

She did close up slightly between the 200m and the 100m, but it was only inside the final 100m that Deer Valley found a gear that nobody else possessed and she literally charged home to deny the game effort of Startling Pleasure, going past her in the closing stages to win by 0.50 lengths.

It was a big win and, in the end, a telling ride by apprentice jockey Justin Wood who was the beneficiary of a Gai Waterhouse decision to not approve the return to race riding of apprentice Daniel Ganderton. Ganderton was earmarked for the ride, which would have been his first ride back since fracturing his leg. Waterhouse had the last word regarding his availability and she declined to release him for the ride.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Steele Ryan: “I had a few anxious moments just like all of the punters out there who took the short odds, but as Justin (Wood) said, it was a good effort to come from that far back and finish the race off in that fashion.

“Her acceleration was pretty impressive. I saw a bit of evidence of that on Tuesday when I gave he a soft trial over 650 at Deagon. She let down in the same fashion so I was confident if he could get her to the outside she would finish off well, whether it was good enough or not, but I was confident she was going to hit the line that hard.

“I’ve had her for about seven or eight weeks, mate, thats all and we had to push her in the deep end a little bit today to get her ready. It’s a bit of a mission impossible getting her ready for a seven furlong race (at the Magic Millions) on the back of that long Spring Carnival she went through.

“You can do it with younger horses. You can’t do it with older horses. Yeah, but I threw it at her and she’s responded well. She’s a lovely filly ... eats everything ... does everything right.

“She won’t start again before the big race in three weeks time. The plan is ... I’ll probably nominate her for the Goldmarket, but I don’t want to run in it ... the plan is to go through ... at Eagle Farm ... a set of trials in ten days. We’ll look for 1100m. The last few sets they’ve had here at Doomben, so I hope they do the same again. Then she’ll go straight into the race.”

Apprentice jockey Justin Wood: “No, I never got anxious early at all. I knew there was a lot of speed and I knew a lot of them were caught deep.

“Her best form obviously shows she needs a couple of hundred metres further. First-up she was pretty fresh. I thought we’d go out positive and try to get as close as we could, but it wasn’t to be. She was just too relaxed back there on a nice sort of pace.

“I thought, well, we’ll get out and we’ll sort of pick a run. I went to follow Jimmy Byrne (on Chilly Ruler). He seemed to be going the best out of them. I just got an angle onto the inside of him and once she saw daylight she just exploded like the good horses she is.

“That was a nice hit-out for the big race in three weeks time and I’m pretty confident she’ll give them a shake in that as well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Deer Valley): 2.25 steady.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Prior to this race, trainer M. Jacobs made representations in respect to an application of a cross-over noseband on Al Mazaya. Mr Jacobs explained to stewards that, in his opinion, he had added a cross-over noseband to the gear of the horse shortly after its Ipswich run on 13 November 2009 and had records in his office to confirm same. Stewards, after considering the application, allowed the cross-over noseband to be applied and in respect of the gear change advised Mr Jacobs that he would be required to provide to Queensland Racing confirmatory evidence of the gear transaction.

Pacific Express (K. Banks) and Alesprit (G. Baker) were tightened for room at the start between Chilly Ruler (J. Byrne) and Spirit Of Flatley (B. Pengelly), which shifted in. Deer Valley (J. Wood) was slow to begin. Powerful Light (J. Taylor) and Startling Pleasure (A. Pattillo) made contact on jumping away.

Near the 150m, Spirit Of Flatley (B. Pengelly) and Chilly Ruler (J. Byrne) made contact.

Jockey S. Seamer, rider of Frustrating, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that near the 50m he allowed his mount to shift out under hard riding when insufficiently clear of Pacific Express (K. Banks), resulting in Pacific Express being taken out on to Tycoon's Pride (L. Cassidy), which had to be checked. S. Seamer was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 20 December and to expire at midnight, 31 December 2009.

Tycoon's Pride (L. Cassidy), Chilly Ruler (J. Byrne), Spirit Of Flatley (B. Pengelly) and Alesprit (G. Baker) all raced three wide for the majority of the event.

G. Baker reported to stewards that Alesprit had received tightening shortly after the start and was forced to race three wide however did so with cover and, in his opinion, performed disappointingly. Trainer B. Hill concurred and advised stewards that Alesprit would be sent for a spell. A post-race veterinary examination of Alesprit failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

A post-race veterinary examination of Tycoon's Pride revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-foreleg. Trainer M. Nolan was advised he would be required to provide a veterinary clearance for Tycoon's Pride prior to its next race start.

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