ORTENSIA EARNS PLACE IN STRADBROKE WITH FIGHTING WIN IN QTC CUP

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 1, 2009

QTC Cup Handicap (Group 2 - Quality) - 1300m. Time: 1-19.13.
1 Ortensia; 2 Maxisun; 3rd Mr Baritone.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Tony Noonan: “I feel relieved. Relieved is the best way to explain it. I was terribly worried about the conditions of the track, because as you saw there she just doesn’t ping, she grinds and she does her best, but she just doesn’t ping like she would on a good track ... but it was a good effort, a real good effort.

“Had to ride her closer. She is better off chasing, but we decided to ride her closer with the track being like it was and she stuck her head out at the right time. She’s not at home in those conditions ... those sort of tracks, but she still won. A very good filly.

“Does she back up well? Ask me tomorrow when we’ll see how she pulls up. She’s done it before - backed up the week after with a win. She did it going into the Guineas Prelude at Caulfield. She run second at the Valley and then won the week later. I’m not so much worried about it because I haven’t been hard on her. If anything she was going to need this. It was a very good hit out. So I’m not worried (about backing up). I’m glad to have the problem.

“I suppose she wasn’t as impressive as you would like to see going into the Stradbroke. She was more workmanlike, and she tends to be that way on that softer sort of ground. Look, we’ll be hoping we get a fine week - a good Queensland week with no rain.

“Yeah, the phone has been pretty busy since Craig (Williams) made his decision (to ride All Silent instead of Ortensia in the Stradbroke). We haven’t given it any thought really. We had to get past today first. We’ll wait and see who’ll ride her. I haven’t given it any thought at all, and I won’t until dinner tonight. We’ll discuss it then.”

Jockey Craig Williams: “She got through the going good. She had a good turn of foot. She got her first feel on a soft track in Sydney (in her previous start). She was nearly awesome, but I found she is such a better horse on top of the ground anyway. So, you’re going to see that coming up, but I definitely have a strong opinion of her. She’s the best, but you know she’s definitely better on a hard track, which is great.

“I felt coming out of the turn we might get left in front a little too soon. You watch her deviate a little bit. Forget the margin. She is just as good as we think she is. She didn’t fall in. She just gets lost. She loves to chase and, of course, she is not as happy when she’s got a bit of cut in the ground. She’s the queen of the turf!

“I had mixed feelings about making my decision on which horse to ride in the Stradbroke ... but I had to make a decision. She’s in my heart. I had to go with my head, but she’s in my heart. She’s got to do something that no horse has ever done ... create history. Maybe she is the right horse.

“I was told during the week that Mick Dittman always used to respect his horses. When they had to back up he used to pull them up and walk them back. I did the same with her.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Ortensia): 2.25 in to 2.05 out to 2.10.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards sought an explanation from jockey B. El-Issa regarding the tactics employed on Maxisun today as compared to its most recent start where it was positioned towards the rear of the field. B. El-Issa stated that from the inside barrier Maxisun began very well and he felt his best option was to take advantage of the inside barrier and position the horse just behind the leaders. Trainer T. Vasil explained that the horse was stepping up in distance to 1300m around a bigger track and he felt this was the reason for the horse taking up a more prominent position. Their explanations were noted.

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