GSCT MAR 10 - JET SURGE POWERS HOME

By Graham Potter | Friday, March 12, 2010

Gold Coast, March 10, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - Out 7.5m 1400-400, out 5.5m remainder.
QTIS 600 2yo Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-12.05 (Carrying 56kg).
1 Jet Surge; 2 Count Spur; 3 Hubert.

The Bryan Guy trained Jet Surge showed natural improvement to claim his first victory in only his second start at the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

Jet Surge hit the line with meaning to get the better of his stable companion Count Spur in a race trainer Bryan Guy enjoyed watching as the stable’s two runners had the race to themselves in the closing stages.

Playful Paris pushed up hard along the inside of Count Spur to lead early. Count Spur was happy to take the trail just to the outside of the leader while jockey Damian Browne kept a watching brief on Jet Surge, sitting back in a prominent fourth place outside Heaven’s Own.

Count Spur quickly accounted for Playful Paris as the latter weakened after straightening and, as he did when successful on Streetson two races earlier, jockey Jim Byrne set sail for home on the son of Jet Spur, looking to make every call a winning call in the run home.

Browne was not done yet on Jet Surge though. In fact he was only starting to wind up.

With nothing else coming home strongly enough to have a major say, the outcome of the race came down to whether Jet Surge would be able to run down Count Spur over the final 200m.

It was a bit of a grind at first, but Jet Surge slowly gathered winning momentum and he loomed up to take the measure of his stable-mate with 100m left to run and he had the race comfortably in his keeping in the concluding stages of the contest.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “He was only beaten two-and-a-half lengths in town on debut. It was a sensational run that day. He missed the kick three lengths. He was back last and he found the line in unbelievable fashion ... another couple of strides and he would have run second. His run was great.

“We’ve waited three weeks for the 1200m race last Saturday ... and, of course, they were called off on Saturday. Through Queensland Racing’s wisdom, they put the race on today which I thought was terrific.

“I put the tongue tie on him. He worked and he had his tongue over the bit a couple of mornings and I said, I’ve got to put a tongue-tie on him. We put it on and I think it’s switched him on a bit more.

“He now will come back here (to the Gold Coast) in ten days time. There’s a QTIS 600 race on and it is worth $164000 to the winner so that would be the right race to come to ... and the second horse (Count Spur) will do the same."

Jockey Damian Browne: “In his first start in the city he reared up in the barrier and missed it. He is still doing the odd thing wrong, but he began well enough today to take up a prominent position. The speed wasn’t that great, so it enabled him to travel nicely.

“Jimmy (Byrne, riding Count Spur) sort of sprinted on the corner and left me a bit flat. I think my horse is going to be better once he gets to seven furlongs. It just took him that little while to wind up and his best work was probably his last 200m.

“For a stride or two there I thought I was in a little bit of trouble, but by the time I got to about the furlong I knew I had him covered.

“I think he is going to make the grade as a nice type of horse. He’s got a lot to learn, but as long as he does things right and keeps improving as he has, bearing in mind this is only his second start. If he keeps improving as he has from his first start to his second start, it will happen for him sooner rather than later.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Jet Surge): 2.60 out to 3.30.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Hubert (S. Scriven) jumped away awkwardly and shifted in making contact with Heavens Own (S. Katsidis). Playful Paris (P. Hammersley) blundered on jumping away.

Shortly after the start Testa Renaya (App R. Hinricks) had to be eased to avoid the heels of Playful Paris when it shifted in away from Federer Express (J. Bowditch).

Driving Reign (C. Munce) was caught three wide after the start and raced wide throughout. Aessex (App J. Wood), which was obliged to race three wide throughout, was inclined to hang out approaching the home turn.