DOOM JAN 30 - RARE DIAMOND SIMPLY TOO STRONG

By Graham Potter | Monday, February 1, 2010

Doomben, January 30, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3.5m.
Open Handicap - 1615m. Time: 1-37.79. (Carrying 50kg).
1 Rare Diamond; 2 Rebounded; 3 Sam's Express.

Trainer Gordon Yorke’s decision to bring Rare Diamond to Brisbane six days after the mare had triumphed in the Iris Nielsen Ladies Invitation feature at Ballina last Sunday paid handsome dividends when the four-year-old had little difficulty in beating off the opposition to win by a comfortable two length margin.

Apprentice jockey Tim Bell placed Rare Diamond in second position from the break and the mare loped along in comfortable fashion in that spot behind Ram Jam Inn in a tactically slow run race until the turn.

Rare Diamond immediately went up to join the leader on straightening. Ram Jam Inn had nothing left to offer once pressurised and Rare Diamond simply breezed past the early leader and bounded away.

Rare Diamond was always in complete control in the run home as she put daylight between herself and the opposition, leaving the chasers to sort out the minor placings.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Apprentice jockey Tim Bell: “She’s a nice, little, honest mare ... tries her guts out, which is what I really like about her. Coming to the corner we’d had a nice tempo up in front so I opted to try and pinch it with 50kg’s on its back. It was only a steady tempo early, but from about the 700m we just started rolling.

“That’s why I took the option of trying to pinch it just in case some of those good solid back-markers started to make a run.”

“She’s got such a great turn of foot and that eventually won her the race.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Rare Diamond): 7.50 out to 8.00 in to 6.00.
Favourite (Sam’s Express) 3.00 in to 2.70 out to 2.60.Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Hard To Catch (J. Bowditch) raced three wide throughout.

M. Radecker, the rider of Rebounded, reported that after being a little slow to begin and making contact with Rare Diamond (T. Bell), she endeavoured briefly to take up the leading position, however when it became apparent approaching the first turn that she would have to work three
wide around Rare Diamond and a position became available one out and one back, she felt it was best to take hold of Rebounded and take a trail behind Rare Diamond.

P. Duff, trainer of Hard To Catch, reported that in his opinion the horse had soured in its preparation and he intended to give the horse a freshen up. A post-race veterinary examination of Hard To Catch failed to reveal any abnormalities.

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