GCST JAN 09 - GUTS AND GLORY WIN FOR GRACEFUL ANNA

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Monday, January 11, 2010

Gold Coast, January 09, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 2m (900-400); True 400 - winning post; Out 1m - remainder.
$1 Million Queensland Racing Magic Millions 3YO Trophy - 1400m. Time: 1-22.56.
1 Graceful Anna; 2 Tallow; 3 Love Conquers All; 4 Latin News.

To see a horse with courage and heart punching above its fighting weight and coming out on top is one of the most enthralling sights in racing. Graceful Anna is such a horse and her exploits are rightfully one of the big stories of the Magic Millions Carnival.

Trainer David Pfieffer, with only ten horses in work, is very much part of the story. Pfieffer spent no less than fifteen years working with the late (trainer) Tony Wildman. He says it was a ‘long apprenticeship’ but the bottom is he learnt his trade well.

So much so, that just a couple of years into his training career, he has a horse that has won five out of six starts. When Graceful Anna won the Vo Rogue at Doomben back in December the filly gave Pfieffer his first city winner. How many trainers claim their breakthrough win in town in a Group 3 event?

That result marked Pfieffer and Graceful Anna as being a special team. Their win in the Magic Millions 3yo Trophy only cemented that reputation. Credit regular rider Peter Robl too with an inch perfect ride.

An important part of Graceful Anna’s strength is her ability to do it at both ends. She pinged out of the gates. She couldn’t get in early but persevered to eventually settle in a strong second place just outside the leader Femina Fashion.

Graceful Anna was already up alongside the early frontrunner on straightening and Robl quickly allowed her to stretch out to claim the outright lead early in the straight. Love Conquers All had an awkward moment getting past Temple Of Boom, but then he was in the clear and he started to chase Graceful Anna.

Tallow was the other runner lengthening his stride with serious intent down the outside and these two runners from the might of the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes stable (Love Conquers All) and the Anthony Cummings stable (Tallow) set about hunting down the Pfieffer trained runner.

Love Conquers All and Tallow not only closed up on Graceful Anna, who never stopped kicking, but they also started to drift together themselves due to Tallow’s inward movement which resulted in a brush between these two runners close to the line when hard on the heels of Graceful Anna.

That was their issue though. For Graceful Anna it was just a question of landing one more punch. She did that by not relenting under pressure and fighting on to the line to score a famous victory.

The announcement of the official result was delayed while Stewards ruled on a protest lodged by Darren Beadman, the rider of the third placed Love Conquers All, against the second placed Tallow. The protest was overruled.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer David Pfieffer: “That’s my first big win ... what can I say? Every time we have lifted the level on her she has just kept going.

“To win five-in-a-row is a big effort. To win a race like this is simply outstanding. I’m on top of the world. You know, people dream of this type of thing. It doesn’t always come true, but it has for me today.

“We thought from the barrier we’d end up being the leader. It worked out well at Wyong. It worked out again today.

“Every-time we ask her to do something more, she does it. Her heart is as big as her. She just tries her heart out. She just keeps kicking and wants to give her all, you know. Yeah, I’ve only got a small team. I’ve only got ten in work at the moment. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got one good one.

Yeah, I know Tony Wildman would be proud looking down. I did fifteen years working with him. It was a long apprenticeship. He taught me so much."

Jockey Peter Robl: “She is just a very exciting horse. You know, there is not a lot of her. As I said it probably comes down to constitution and their will to win and, you know, she tops any of them when it comes to that.

“Credit to Dave ... young Dave (Pfieffer). He’s done a terrific job. He targeted this race and he had her one hundred percent here today. It was a great effort by him and a great effort by her.

“She’s probably one be the toughest filly I’ve ridden. Yeah, I suppose she might go further ... maybe. Maybe ... I don’t think ... well, I’ll be telling Dave at this stage you probably don’t need to push her out to a mile. There’s plenty of races over six or seven furlongs so leave it at that.

“It’s probably one of those races where everything went to plan ... the way we thought the race would be run and the way we thought our filly would run. It went perfectly. We didn’t have a hitch at all. I was very confident because when they got to her I felt her lift underneath me. I knew then she would hold them at bay. She’s got the will to win and that’s what good horses have got.

They all had their chance to beat her. When she let down ... she let down nicely and when they started to get to her she lifted again. It takes a good horse to do that. She’s done that in her last start in the Vo Rogue in Brisbane. She’s done it again today.

“She races up on the bunny and gives herself all the favours. She’ll win a lot more than she’ll lose doing that. It is a great thrill to come here for one ride and have a winner. They call it the Magic Millions and I can tell you it is a magic feeling.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACTS:
Stewards considered an objection lodged by D. Beadman the rider of Love Conquers All which finished third against Tallow (C. Brown) being declared second on the grounds of alleged interference over the final 100m.

Before deciding the objection lodged by D. Beadman stewards did consider whether an incident that had occurred at about the 800m involving Graceful Anna (P. Robl) and Love Conquers All warranted them lodging an objection on behalf of the connections of Love Conquers All. However, in all the circumstances stewards did not consider that it was appropriate on this occasion to take that course of action and proceeded to determine the objection lodged by D. Beadman himself.

After taking evidence from all parties concerned stewards acknowledged that near the winning post Tallow shifted in and brushed Love Conquers All however, bearing in mind all the circumstances, of course, the manner in which the two horses concluded the race stewards could not be satisfied to the required standard that the brush between Tallow and Love Conquers All had affected the result, therefore the objection was dismissed.

Deer Valley (App D. Ganderton) was slow away. Choistar (B. Pengelly) jumped away awkwardly. On jumping Captain Sonador (C. Munce) shifted in abruptly and made contact with Graceful Anna (P. Robl).

About the 900m Choistar became unbalanced and struck the running rail when racing tight on the inside of Double Heart (J. Taylor), which in turn was racing tight on the inside of Princess Qualo (L. Cassidy). In the opinion of stewards the occurrence was accidental and no action was taken.

About the 800m Love Conquers All was steadied and became unbalanced when avoiding the heels of Graceful Anna, which shifted in when not quite clear. No direct action was taken but P. Robl (Graceful Anna) was reprimanded and advised he must exercise far more care when shifting ground in future.

A post race veterinary examination of Deer Valley revealed no significant abnormalities

A post race veterinary examination of Princess Qualo found the filly to be sore in both front legs and lame in the off-fore leg. Trainer R. Heathcote advised stewards that Princess Qualo will be immediately spelled. Mr Heathcote was advised that a veterinary certificate will be required before Princess Qualo again races.