SCENIC SHOT AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME IN P J O’SHEA STAKES

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 1, 2009

P.J. O'Shea Stakes (Group 2 - WFA) - 2200m. Time: 2-20.95.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True.
1 Scenic Shot; 2 Mirkola Lass; 3 Fulmonti

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Len Morton, representing his son (trainer) Daniel Morton: “The horse has done well since his last run (the Doomben Cup win), so it was just a matter of him holding form and having the right kind of luck. I think the conditions of the track suited us today too. The Weight-For-Age conditions were great. We’ll consider going on to the Brisbane Cup next week. We’ll have a look at the weights and make a decision probably by about Monday. He had 59kg last year and I would expect about the same, but we’ll have to wait and see. It’s no good me trying to tell the handicapper what to do with her, although I reckon about 55kg would be good!”

“To win this race again is great.” (Scenic Shot defeated Rampant Lion in this race last year). “We were a bit concerned when we drew wide again, but once the track started to get cut up in the first few races and we realised that we were just as well to be out there (wide) today. He handles the going and he’s proven himself to be the better horse here at the carnival over those distances, so it’s really great.

“You know luck is a big part of racing and how lucky are we that we’ve got a horse that is good enough to score back to back wins in this race. If the luck holds, who knows, we could be back for a crack at it again next year.

“Dan (Morton) is in Newmarket (England) now. It’d be five o’clock in the morning, and if he’s had his way and listened to it he’d be jumping around and annoying everybody there I’d say. Yeah, but he would be listening in to it somehow.”

Jockey Shane Scriven: “You know the horse has come up here and he’s thrived in the sunshine now that we’ve got a bit. The boys have done a sensational job with him, you know. He’s gone on with his Doomben win and he beat them with a bit of contempt today, so he’s not finished with yet.

“I never did try to get cover. The idea was to follow me old horse (Rampant Lion). I knew he’d take me into the race. Damien (Oliver – on Rampant Lion) got padded out at the half mile and moved forward. I just wanted to be on his hammer ... to be within striking distance. I knew where I was on the turn they wouldn’t get past this old bloke. He didn’t even have to put up a fight there today. He cruised home.

“The Brisbane Cup is next on the agenda. I think that we are going to have a lunch and discuss it. He’ll get plenty of weight, so I’ll be putting my two bob’s worth in. It’ll be my recommendation that they run him in the Brisbane Cup. Ultimately it is up to the handicapper. I can’t see why you would not run him. Weight will stop a train. If it stops him then he can go for a holiday.

“You can talk about me making the right choice (between Scenic Shot and Rampant Lion), but actually there was no choice at all. If I could have had a choice I probably would have went with Rampant (Lion) ... not because he was the best ride, but because they are my best mates. But I’d made a commitment to the Morton’s. They asked me to ride Scenic Shot in two races and I said yes. He is a lovely horse. They know him. I clicked with him. Where we go from here ... let’s try and make it three from three.

“Mate again he is the sort of horse ... you know, I must say I have never ridden English style, but if I ever maybe looked like English style, that is how you ride that horse. You just let him do his own thing ... free-rein him, don’t upset him at all. If he wants to move out, let him do whatever he wants to do. He knows when to go. You just sit there ... hopefully steer him and help him go where he wants to go. The job’s pretty easy from there.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Scenic Shot): 2.70 out to 2.90.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
D. Oliver the rider of Rampant Lion pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under the provisions of AR137(a) in that he permitted his mount to shift in passing the winning post on the first occasion when insufficiently clear of Scenic Shot (S. Scriven), resulting in that horse being taken in onto Fast Future (M. Cahill), resulting in Fast Future being severely crowded for room and losing its position. D. Oliver's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 meetings to commence midnight 3 June 2009 and to expire midnight 14 June 2009.