SCST JAN 31 - OCEAN JOURNEY COMES GOOD

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Sunshine Coast, January 31, 2010.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - True.
Class 2 Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-14.09. (Carrying 55kg).
1 Ocean Journey; 2 Magic Symphony; 3 Brackin Road.

The Robert Heathcote trained Ocean Journey landed the third win of his career under a competent ride from apprentice jockey Allan Chau.

Chau pushed Ocean Journey out in confident fashion in the straight and the four-year-old responded with a race winning effort which was good enough to beat back the challenge of the favourite Magic Symphony by a length as the letter kept the winner honest all the way to the line.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “To be honest, I’m a little bit disappointed with him. Even those he’s won there ... you know, I’m generally doing cartwheels with joy when they win ... but he was a little disappointing.

“There’s something I can’t put my finger on. Even watching the replay there ... he is still not putting his head down and really hitting the line.

“You remember when he won at Doomben some runs ago (when first-up). He won by five lengths and he looked like a real good horse. He’s won here and he’s won well enough but there is something there. I don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of this horse yet.”

Apprentice jockey Allan Chau: “Mr Heathcote told me to press forward. He’s been racing a fraction back where he normally does. He told me to go forward. I sort of pressed forward for 100m. Within 100m he sort of got up there and travelled really nicely underneath me and he got to the front without doing too much.

“He had a nice little time up front and relaxed. He kicked on and tried to find the line real good. He is still a bit green. Mr Heathcote’s trying a few different things on him. Like probably you noticed he had a tongue-tie and a cross-over noseband on. He’s had a bit of a breathing problem and I think that is what is going to worry him the most ... just confidence wise. He is not a very confident horse.

“As soon as you put him under pressure, he will find. Don’t get me wrong. The horse has a lot of ability. He just hasn’t got the confidence within himself to race well. As soon as the penny drops and he knows it is not going to hurt him, you’ll probably find he is a way, way better horse than what he is showing,”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Amaizemea (A. Spinks) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Ocean Journey (A. Chau) jumped away awkwardly, making contact with Check The Chips (K. Pope). My Whippy (C. Reith) jumped away awkwardly, making contact with Duke Ivor (B. Thomson)

A post-race veterinary examination of Check The Chips failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.