EF JAN 16 - DEALERS GRINDS OUT HARD-FOUGHT WIN

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 17, 2010

Eagle Farm, January 16, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Class 6 Handicap (4yo and up) - 1200m. Time: 1-10.16.
1 Dealers; 2 Leapfrog; 3 Jad.

The Sue Grills trained Dealers, who was having his first run in Queensland, had no opportunity to get in from his wide draw so apprentice jockey Timothy Bell allowed the gelding to stride freely out three wide without cover as he raced in midfield all the way to the home turn.

The top weight Leapfrog and Firedrake, who had filled the first two places from the start, continued to set the target in the home straight. As Leapfrog kept holding Firedrake at bay, Jad, who was always prominent, moved up to join issue with the leaders while Bell set Dealers about his business on the outside of runners to begin his chase in earnest.

Dealers did not pick up the tempo immediately. Instead he gradually started to build momentum and then he changed gears with 150m left to run.

Inside the final 100m, Leapfrog kept fighting on bravely along the inside. Firedrake stayed on, but could find nothing extra. Jad kept coming ... but all of these runners were about to succumb to the finishing effort of Dealers whose grinding determination finally wore down his rivals as he got to the front at the right time to beat out Leapfrog and Jad by a long-head and a nose respectively.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Sue Grills: “I was very worried when he was stuck three wide without cover. We thought he’d be up outside Leapfrog, but it didn’t work out that way. But Tim (Bell) rode beautifully. He didn’t panic, which he doesn’t do, and he got him there.

“Tim made the best of a bad situation. The barrier was always going to be a worry. The horse only had 53 on his back which helped him. He had a good pull in the weights on the top weight (5kg with the apprentice claim). No,Tim rides beautifully. Peter Snowden ... when I picked the horse up ... he advised me. He said, go to Brisbane with this horse ... I think he can win a Class 6, so here we are!

“We’ll definitely be back now. We actually bought him just to run in country, but we’ll bring him back up here and then maybe take him to the Tamworth Cup. Who knows?”(Grills is based at Tamworth).

Apprentice jockey Timothy Bell: “At first when I was so far back I was a little bit nervous to tell you the truth. The horse has always been up there on the pace when he has run his best races but, you know, he was travelling well enough to be where he was.

“Once he was three wide I thought, like I’m stuck with this so I might has well help him out and try to have him travelling comfortably.

“Once he got around the corner, I didn’t think he was going to find as much as he did. He is a very nice, tough horse. In fairness, the weight did tell on Leapfrog (who finished second under 58kg after leading inside the final 100m). That’s where I benefit with my 3kg claim. Any horse with 3kg off its back is going to be running hard that last bit ... but like I said, I was still a bit nervous at the furlong that I wasn’t going to get there.

“Yeah, I ride all wherever I can. Who said there’s no money in travelling?”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Dealers): 3.50 in to 3.20 out to 3.70.
Favourite (Leapfrog): 2.20 out to 2.50 in to 2.30.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Unintentional (J. Byrne), Charvicky (L. Cassidy) and Olanal (M. Speers) all jumped away awkwardly and missed the start.

Approaching the 900m, Unintentional (J. Byrne) commenced to race fiercely and had to be restrained off the heels of Mauries Pick (M. Hellyer).

Dealers (T. Bell) was caught three wide on the first turn and was obliged to race wide for the entire race. Following this race the track rating was upgraded to Good 2.