DOOM FEB 20 - JAZZ HEART PLAYS WINNING TUNE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Doomben, February 20, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - out 1.5m.
Class 6 Plate (Set Weights) - 1615m. Time: 1-36.76. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Jazz Heart 2 Raincoat; 3 Gold Rating.

The Bryan Guy trained Jazz Heart scored his second win of the week when he landed a hard-earned win at Doomben on Saturday.

On the Sunday prior to this run Jazz Heart won a Class 6, set weights contest at the Sunshine Coast by seven lengths in what was little more than a training gallop. This time he had to work a lot harder.

Jockey Jim Byrne settled the gelding just worse than midfield in the early part and he remained in the pack until the home turn where he straightened in an awkward position, just one off the rail but surrounded by a wall of horses with nowhere to go.

The four-year-old was clearly full of running, but he now needed luck to go his way to get the result he was capable of ... and he got a flicker of hope when Light Red, who was racing immediately in front of him moved out marginally.

The sniff of daylight might have been there, but Byrne still had to bide his time on Jazz Heart until the 200m mark where a true, viable gap appeared between two tiring horses, Light Red and Academy Magic (who had made an early dash for home at the top of the straight). Byrne wasted little time in urging Jazz Heart forward, but it was still no gimme.

By the time Jazz Heart got into full stride he was still three lengths adrift of Pride And Power who had taken over the lead from Academy Magic approaching the 200m mark, while Gold Rating (along the inside running rail) and Raincoat (who was out wider on the track) were also coming strongly into contention.

In a driving four-way chase to the line Jazz Heart’s finished best of all to claim the fifth win of his career in his twenty-fourth start. The gelding has impressive stakes earnings of more than $320 000.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “You look at the replay of the race, he got on the back of one and instead of going out around them he went back inside and got held up ... and I thought, oh my God. But he’s won. He (Jim Byrne) will come back and tell me how good he rode it, so I’ve got to agree with him now with that result.

“We took him to the Sunshine Coast (in his previous run). What I did with him ... he’s been racing in Class 6 races and he has been getting 57, 58kg. They put the two set weights races on and I said to the owner, I said, he’ll get in on the limit at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday ... where he won by seven lengths ... and if he wins that he’ll only go up by half-a-kilo today.

“As I say it was a set-weight Class 6 last Sunday at the Sunshine Coast and he had the limit, because he was a Class 3 horse. At set weights again today he only went up half-a-kilo because he was a Class 4 horse now.

“So that’s why I took him there (to the Sunshine Coast). Give him a kill and then come back to a similar race in town.

“I’ve always had an opinion of the horse. You have a look at his runs. He’s run in good races. In the Magic Millions he didn’t have much luck at all and he only got beaten by under two lengths and ran fourth against good horses in the 1800m race (won by Hidden Wonder).

“So he has always shown me lots of ability. I was even going to take him down south at one stage, but he just never lifted that little bit extra, but today he found the line real good. It was just a question of getting his mind right and probably getting him down in the weights a bit.

“Now I just hope I can find another set weight race. I don’t know how long I’ll keep him going (this was Jazz Heart’s seventh run this prep) but while he is racing at his best I’ve got to keep him going.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “Oh look, he’s run some very nice races in good races. This race here today, after his good win the other day, he really switched on and attacked the line real good.

“I’ve only ever been on him two twice now and both times he’s won. He’s a nice horse. You know, he is the sort of horse ... if things go his way and he is able to track into the race really well he can let down nicely.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jazz Heart): 4.20 out to 4.80 in to 4.40.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Teary Eyed (M. Hellyer) and Charvicki (S. Scriven) were both slow to begin. Rounding the first turn, Jazz Heart (J. Byrne) commenced to pull hard and shifted wider when eased off the heels of All Our Way (N. Paine), resulting in Under Construction (J. Wood) being forced wider on the track.

Academy Magic (M. Palmer), which was caught wide on the first turn, was obliged to race wide in the middle stages until assuming a position outside the leader near the 800m.

Rounding the home turn, Jazz Heart improved up on the heels of Light Red (L. Rolls) and had to be steadied.

Mauries Pick (D. Brown) was unable to obtain clear running from the 300m until approaching the 100m. Gold Rating (T. Bell) was held up for clear running in the home straight until near the 200m.
Under Construction was obliged to race wide for the majority of the event.

Stewards sought an explanation from Mr D. Murphy, trainer of Light Red in respect to the apparent change of tactics employed on the gelding today. D. Murphy explained he had given no specific instructions to apprentice L. Rolls other than to advise him that, in his opinion, there was a lack of
speed in the race and that if Light Red began well and there was an opportunity to take up a forward position he should do so.

Whilst stewards took no direct action against D. Murphy, he was reminded of his obligations to advise stewards of any change of tactics in future.

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