DOOM JAN 30 - GUISSEPINO’S STRONG FIRST-UP SHOWING

By Graham Potter | Monday, February 1, 2010

Doomben, January 30, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3.5m.
1MW Handicap - 1110m. Time: 1-05.31. (Carrying 51kg).
1 Guissepino; 2 King Of The Kongo; 3 Unsupervised.

Trainer Liam Birchley wasn’t at the track at Doomben on Saturday. He was New Zealand putting the finishing touches on Sister Havana prior to her success in the Karaka Million, but that didn’t mean the Birchley name wouldn’t be on the scoreboard in Brisbane. It got there when the five-year-old mare Guissepino took the honours in the sixth race when scoring by a neck from King Of The Kongo.

It was a welcome change of fortune for Guissepino who was racing first-up after a four month spell. She had finished in second place on four consecutive occasions from April to August 2009 and you had to go back to December 2008 for her last win, so this breakthrough effort to get herself back in the winners’ enclosure was full of merit.

After there had been all kinds of disruptions and distractions at the start (See Stewards Report) apprentice jockey Chris McIver snagged Guissepino back from his wide draw to be second last early, just ahead of King Of The Kongo who was slow away.

With the slow early pace, Guissepino and King Of The Kongo kept each other company at the tail of the compact field in the sweep to the turn, but on straightening they went their separate ways in search of glory.

King Of the Kongo ducked back to the inside to take the rails run which presented itself when the leader Unsupervised started to shift out into the whip, while McIver elected to switch Guissepino out much wider on the track ... some six or seven horses wide ... to launch his challenge.

The outward movement by Guissepino initially cost her ground, but once she got balanced and found her rhythm she rallied down the centre of the track to finish best of all to take out the victory from King Of The Kongo who made up steady ground along the inside. Unsupervised, who was beaten with 100m left to run, stayed on for third.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jockey Chris McIver: “Yeah, she was pretty good today. They rolled along at a good tempo. I was told to ride her back. We were happy to be back with the tail-enders and have the last crack at them.

“When I let her go she really took off. She’s got great acceleration, so you can ride her anywhere in the race. She likes being a little bit back where she can really find a gear.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Guissepino): 6.00 out to 6.50 in to 6.00.
Favourite (Unsupervised): 3.30 out to 3.80 in to 3.20.Finsihed third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed when Spanish Fling became fractious in the barrier stalls. Horses That's Better and Unsupervised, which were drawn in the adjoining stalls, were examined by the veterinarian and passed fit to race.

S. Katsidis, the rider of That's Better, was examined by the paramedics and also passed fit to take his ride. Spanish Fling was declared a late scratching at 3.41 p.m. by order of the stewards acting on veterinary advice. Trainer P. Duff was advised that Spanish Fling must either trial to the satisfaction of the stewards or obtain two further barrier certificates before again racing.

The start of the race was further delayed when Tonkatsu became fractious and then cast in the barrier stalls. Acting on veterinary advice that the horse had sustained lacerations to both forelegs and the off-hind leg, stewards declared Tonkatsu a late scratching at 3.46 p.m.

Pegunny Roy, which had sustained a laceration above its offside eye in this incident, was also withdrawn by order of the stewards acting on veterinary advice at 3.46 p.m.Under the circumstances stewards took no action against Tonkatsu in regard to its becoming fractious in the barriers due to the initial delay to the start.

King Of The Kongo (J. Bowditch) was slow to begin. New Journey (M. Speers) over-raced in the early stages when caught wide. King Of The Kongo was held up for clear running rounding the home turn.
Guissepino (C. McIver) was inclined to lay in under pressure over the final 200m.