GCST JAN 09 - GUNDY SON BRUSHES THEM ASIDE

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Thursday, January 14, 2010

Gold Coast, January 09, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 2m (900-400); True 400 - winning post; Out 1m - remainder.
Magic Millions Class 6 Plate - 1200m. Time: 1-09.97.
1 Gundy Son; 2 The Sixties; 3 Elmsford.

The Robert Heathcote trained Gundy Son completed back-to-back wins and claimed his third success in his last four starts when coming up trumps in the Magic Millions Class 6 Plate.

The-four-year-old was dropping back in distance (from 1350m to 1200m). He jumped from pole position and landed right on the speed before going back to settle in fourth spot where jockey Dan Nikolic gave him the run of the race along the inside as Esprit Lad set the early target up front.

Approaching the home turn Nikolic angled Gundy Son off the rail and he straightened, still in fourth place, with a clear run beckoning him down the centre of the track. The Sixties, who had cornered in second place, was the first to close in on the leader, but Nikolic had now asked Gundy Son to lengthen his stride and the gelding quickly closed the gap on The Sixties.

With Esprit Lad crying enough early in the straight it momentarily became a race in two but, as game as The Sixties was, that battle became an uneven contest as Gundy Son powered to the lead coming through the 200m mark.

He stayed on strongly to the line to beat The Sixties by a comfortable 1.50 lengths, but perhaps the more telling statistic underlining the winners’ dominance was the fact that there was a further 2.50 lengths back to the third placed Elmsford, who finished best of the well beaten pack.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “Winning any Saturday is always good. Magic Millions day makes it that little bit more special.

“You know, he’s been a bit unlucky the horse. He’s come here today ... been heavily backed. It is only his second Saturday win, so being a Class 6 race he has done a good job. He is a nice horse and the penny hasn’t fully dropped with him yet. When it does, I think he can win a real nice race.

“He lets down nice. Lovely ride. There was plenty of speed on. He got a nice trail. Danny (Nikolic) pulled him out at the right time. He’s done everything right. Put another zero on the prize-money and it would have been a real good day, but we’ll settle for that.

“He’ll probably go to the paddock now ... give him a little break and get him ready for a nice race at the Winter Carnival. I think he will get a little bit further, but things suited him well today.

‘I never had him from day one. He has had to learn to be a racehorse. He used to give jockeys a hard time. He is a bit of a challenge as a track-worker. The little fella who rides him for me, Stevie, he just has such an affinity with this horse. Just does him a treat every day and I take my hat off to Steve.”

Jockey Dan Nikolic: “I had the horse underneath me and I had the right barrier. He drew barrier one and he had a very good run where he was ... third, fourth behind the main speed and we got a nice bit of cover in the race.

“Everything panned out really well. I was able to get to the part of the track that I wanted to and the horse did the rest. I had them covered at the furlong and he was very tough all the way to the line.

“The other day (when winning over 1350m at Doomben) he was entitled to get beat. He was exposed early ... the saddle shifted. Today he sort of dropped in weight (from 58kg to 54.5kg). He was always going to be hard to beat.

“I think he is a really nice horse. I think he has been placed very well. He’s not top class, but he is very, very genuine. He hit a bit of a flat spot at the furlong but, you know, he is still hard to get by because he is so genuine. He is a little bulldog in the race.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Silvern was declared a late scratching at 5.01 p.m. by order of stewards acting on veterinary advice. After the race Silvern was examined by the Club's veterinary surgeon who reported its action was scratchy in front. As a result of this trainer J. McLachlan was advised that before the horse can race again a veterinary certificate of fitness must be produced.

Tootsie Zynsky (T. Angland) knuckled when the gates opened, shifted ground and bumped Cat Eyes (M. Cahill). From the difficult gate King Leonidas (B. Stewart) was steadied on jumping, taken across behind the field to a position near the rail. Elmsford (B. Shinn) also from a bad draw was steadied on jumping and taken to a rearward position.

Near the winning post Esprit Lad (N. Rawiller) was hit on the head by the whip of App D. Ganderton (Knot Out). Tootsie Zynsky raced wide throughout the event.

A post race veterinary examination of Dardan revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-fore leg. A veterinary certificate of fitness will be required before Dardan again races.