EF FEB 27 - MOTSPUR SIMPLY TOO STRONG

By Graham Potter | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Eagle Farm, February 27 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - out 3m.
Falvelon Handicap (Quality - Listed) - 1200m. Time: 1-09.73. (Carrying 53kg).
1 Motspur; 2 Nuclear Medicine; 3 The Jackal.

Broadmeadow based trainer Kris Lees seldom ventures to Queensland without getting some return and his judgement was on the mark once again when the seven-year-old gelding Motspur ran out a decisive winner of the featured Falvelon Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Motspur landed in the lead but jockey Chris Munce was content to allow Nuclear Medicine to spear past and go to the front taking Poor Judge in tow while Munce settled Motspur in a comfortable third position tracking the speed.

On the turn Munce saved ground on an inside line to push Poor Judge back to third spot and he then sent Motspur after Nuclear Medicine who had had shifted out on the turn into the better running. Motspur gradually but surely reeled in the frontrunner and the gelding got to the lead with 200m left to run, from which moment the result was never in doubt as Munce merely kept Motspur focussed to the line where he scored by a comfortable 2.50 length margin over Nuclear Medicine.

Motspur’s outright superiority on the day was franked by the fact that The Jackal, the third placed runner, finished a full 4.50 length behind the winner.

This was Motspur’s seventh win from twenty-seven outings and he has now won two of his last three starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Jeremy Sylvester (spokesman for trainer Kris Lees): “Kris (Lees) thought he would win. He was very confident and he’s done the job.

“He is always looking for races up here for his horses. He is a regular visitor ... it’s been a good result. The horse doesn’t like it any worse than slow, so it was perfect conditions for him.

“The plan was to jump out ... go forward and let the others come around it. It was perfect. He is a very honest horse.

“He might not go straight home. Kris will probably have a look and see if there is something on for him in a fortnight, but there is no set plans as yet.”

Jockey Chris Munce: “His Sydney form was pretty solid. He jumped much better today. He has been a bit tardy out of the barriers. He did a good job the horse. He travelled nice in behind and he was relaxed ... and then he showed a bit of ticker there at the end.

“He handled things well. Nuclear Medicine had a pretty soft lead. They didn’t go all that quick. My bloke, he stuck his head out and had a good go which is an attribute of a good horse.

“It was a pleasant surprise getting the ride for Kris (Lees). He obviously wouldn’t be bringing the horse up here just for a day out or just for a trip up here, so he obviously thought the horse would run well. To his credit it has.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Motspur): 4.20 out to 4.40 in to 3.40.
Favourite (Nuclear Medicine): 3.60 in to 3.20 out to 3.30.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Bitabiff (J. Bowditch) was slow to jump. Bold Reason (B. Pengelly) jumped away awkwardly.

The Jackal (R. Thompson) raced three wide throughout. Jockey R. Thompson reported that in his opinion The Jackal is more effective on a firmer surface than that of today's track.

The track was downgraded to Dead 5 following the running of Race 6.