GCST JAN 09 - A MILITARY ROSE MASTERCLASS

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Saturday, January 9, 2010

Gold Coast, January 09, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 2m (900-400); True 400 - winning post; Out 1m - remainder.
$2 Million BMW Magic Millions 2YO Classic - 1200m. Time: 1-10.27.
1 Military Rose; 2 Ambers Waltz; 3 Demanding Miss.

Trainer Gillian Heinrich realised an ambition, jockey Stathi Katsidis reaped the reward for six months hard work and Military Rose joined the list of the upper echelon of Magic Million 2yo Classic winners. That was outcome of the biggest race on the biggest day on the Gold Coast racing calender.

Adding to the pleasure of the moment was the fact that Military Rose was choice of the majority of punters and the result was a home town win which lifted the spirits of local racegoers.

The race was never a serious contest. Military Rose landed in the lead. Katsidis then let Wandering Star go past him to lead narrowly into the first turn and Jantzen also surged forward around the outside to dispute the lead.

Katsidis was weighing up his options and he ensured he did not give up the inside run while he did so. Halfway through the sweep to the turn, Katsidis made up his mind. He pushed Military Rose into the lead ... quickened again to open up a gap on the field on straightening and then left her field for dead halfway up the straight.

Sky commentator Alan Thomas’ call over the final stages summed up the scene as Katsidis and Military Rose ran their rivals into the ground.

Alan Thomas: “Military Rose is a mile in front at the 100 ... led by about four. The Millions is all over. Amber Waltz is running into second position, but Military Rose is giving them a bath.”

In the end Military Rose won by 3.80 lengths. The daughter of General Nediym, who won this race in 1997, could not have been more impressive in defending her unbeaten record as she extended her winning sequence to a prefect four and increased her stake earnings figure from a pre-race $192000 to $1.3 million.

That’s not a bad return for a $155000 purchase!

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gillian Heinrich: “That was absolutely sensational. Just to get a horse in the race today was fantastic and to watch it win by lengths like that ... it is really good.

“I can’t say enough about the locals. I’ve had so many text messages saying, good luck ... I hope you bring it home for the Gold Coast. It’s been a really, really good thing. You know it’s my home town. I’ve always said this is the main race that I wanted to win since I’ve been training so, obviously, like I said, it is just sensational.

“Normally with two-year-olds trainers are battling shin-soreness. You know things go wrong. You can’t get then there (to the Magic Millions). Year after year I’ve always tried to get to the Magic Millions and have hardly ever got there. You think you’ve got one. It runs a good race or wins a good race and then the wheels fall off. The wheels have stuck on this one the last four runs and it’s been absolutely fantastic.

“Four out of four ... what more can I say. Like she has won that today and won it easy. We’ll have to see where we go next. As long as she pulls up and gets over all of this ok, yeah, she’ll have a crack at the slipper.

“I left it up to Stahi (Katsidis) as to whether he would go to the front or not. I said, he might be sitting second or third if there is a bit of speed on. He wasn’t concerned. He said he’d ride her as he finds her. No, I wasn’t worried at all when he pushed forward so early because the Gold Coast is the one place where you can slip ahead on the turn."

Jockey Stathi Katsidis: “I just wanted to lead if I could ... and if I was travelling well enough, why not? Yes, it has to be my biggest win. I don’t know if I ever rode in a $2 million race, let alone won one.

“Last time she missed the start. That’s why she got back a bit. She’s got good speed and although there was a lot of speed in this race on paper ... a lot of people see that and ride their horse differently ... but I just thought I’d be positive and, you know, I could come back if I wanted to.

“When nobody really wanted to lead ... they were all swinging off them about the 700 ... I thought bugger it, I’ll go there and then I can dictate to everyone else where I wanted to be on the track. She was doing it that easy. I’m not sure what time they run, but it felt like they were going reasonably slowly out front. If they weren’t she’s just that good that she felt like they were going slow. So there you go.

“I sort of held onto her until I got into the straight and then, once I straightened up and balanced her, I just niggled her along. I didn’t go full bore until about the 250. I had a look over at the big screen and saw I was well in front and I thought well I won’t hit her too much.

“She does compare well to other good two year-olds I’ve ridden. I rode Calaway Girl. She won a Golden Slipper in her early days. Scott Seamer rode her in the Slipper. I won four-in-a-row on her and then I got sacked. She (Military Rose) has got to be on a par with her. Her acceleration ... or she can come from behind. She’s probably a bit bigger than Calaway Girl which is probable a big plus for her.

“Yeah, things have been good since I returned to riding. That was in July. I believe I’m leading the Premiership in Australia by about fifteen or twenty wins ... I’m on about eighty five or ninety winners for the season, but then, you know, I don’t get to ride in as many Group races as all of the rest of the big jockeys here today ... because I’m based up here.

“When these races hit we don’t get as many chances as them, so to win these races ... you know, I do think I ride as good as these blokes I just don’t get as many chances, so I’ve got to make my opportunities count.

“I need another twelve months to try and set myself up financially. I want to set myself up financially first. I’m thirty years old now. Maybe when I’m thirty-two or thirty-three I could look at making a move then, but I’m not in any great hurry. I love my life up here.

“I got a great settled life. Melissa Jackson, my fiancée ... and the young fella Brooklyn ... he’s four ... you know, everybody has seen how much I’ve improved in my dedication and I think both of them have had a fair bit to do with that. They’ve had a big, positive influence on me.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
At about the 1000m Spirit Of Boom (K. Banks) was crowded for room and had to be checked between Demanding Miss (C. Munce), which was inclined to be racing away from the rail and Extreme Mover (B. Shinn), which got its head on the side and although taken in by Ambers Waltz (C. Brown) had to shift unnecessarily away from that runner.

As stewards formed the view that a doubt existed as to whether C. Brown (Ambers Waltz) was entirely responsible for the crowding that occurred to Spirit Of Boom, they decided not to take any direct action but C. Brown was severely reprimanded and advised he will be expected to exercise far greater care than this in future.

P. Hammersley the rider of Startsmeup pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding in that at about the 300m he permitted his mount to shift in when not clear of Triple Crown (C. Williams), causing that horse to be checked.

P. Hammersley's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 meetings. P. Hammersley pleaded guilty to a further charge of careless riding in that at about 50m from the winning post he permitted his mount to shift out, as a consequence of this Brightexpectations was crowded onto Mundi Gully and severely checked. P. Hammersley's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 11 meetings commencing midnight Sunday 10 January 2010 and to expire midnight Thursday 28 January 2010. Stewards ordered that both suspensions be served concurrently.

Ringa Ringa Rosie (M. Cahill) which was following Brightexpectations also had to be checked as a consequence. About the 200m Demanding Miss (C. Munce) had to be steadied and shifted in abruptly to obtain clear running.

Post race veterinary examinations of Triple Crown and Spirit Of Boom failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.