DOOM MAR 13 - TOUGH AS TEAK WIN BY FANTASTIC BLUE

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Doomben, March 13, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - True.
QTIS 3yo Handicap - 1615m. Time: 1-38.77. (Carrying 56kg).
1 Fantastic Blue; 2 Maroon Bells; 3 Dusty's Felt.

The Paul Nolan trained Fantastic Blue made it two wins from his last three starts when he stormed home under a confident ride by apprentice Tim Bell to claim his third career success at Doomben on Saturday.

Fantastic Blue had won his last start at the track when scoring by a comfortable 1.75 length margin over 1350m when carrying 51.5kg in good going. This was an entirely different test as Fantastic Blue stepped up to tackle the 1615m trip with 56kg on his back on a dead track.

Fantastic Blue was only ordinarily away in the middle of the line and the way the race unfolded in the early part left him racing worse than midfield and trapped four wide with little prospect of getting in.

Bell didn’t fight his predicament. Instead he just made certain his mount was allowed to lope along at a comfortable gallop down the back straight as he trailed the leader Dusty felt by some ten lengths. Racing just along his inside at that stage was the favourite Maroon Bells.

Still held wide, Bell decided to increase the tempo from the 800m and he asked his mount to go forward in the sweep to the turn and Fantastic Blue made up ground steadily in the approach to the home bend. The gelding was up to seventh on straightening, five wide, but importantly now less than three lengths off the lead.

As Fantastic Blue continued with his long run, Maroon Bells, who had continued with his inside run when Fantastic Blue went forward, was held up at the top of the straight as he searched for clear running. By the time a gap was offered and Maroon Bells was able to duck right back to the rail to launch his challenge, Fantastic Blue had got first run on the favourite and was in the process of running past a wall of horses and dashing to the lead.

With 180m left to run Fantastic Blue was in front. Maroon Bells made up good ground mid-straight and the filly moved into second place passing the 100m mark, but that was as far as her belated challenge was going to take her.

Fantastic Blue, given a sight of victory, was simple not going to be denied and he easily held his smaller opponent ay bay to win by 1.30 lengths at the line.

The early leader Dusty’s Felt, in spite of being swamped at the 200m, showed courage in fighting on under pressure to claim third spot.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Michael Nolan (deputizing for trainer Paul Nolan): “It was a good win. He just kept coming didn’t he? Real good effort that.

“Tim (Bell) said before the race he had no doubt about the mile (Fantastic Blue was stepping up from 1400m to 1615m). Where he goes from here will be up to my dad.”

Apprentice jockey Tim Bell: “He’s winning on his own ability at the moment. He’s still got a lot to learn. He’s still doing a lot wrong. In the final 100 he just wanted to lay in, you know, through greenness.

“He did that last start (when finishing fifth, 2.50 lengths behind Craiglea Blondie). It probably cost him a placed run. He probably should have run second or third.

“He’s still got that greenness, but once that gets under control and, with a little bit more pace in the race, he is really going to storm home.

“I think he is going to do a longer distance easily. That race then was probably run like it should have been an 1800m race, due to the pace. But, you know, he picked them up and put them down pretty quick in the softer going. He is probably a better horse ... I think he is potentially a better horse on the better going. He is going to improve a lot yet.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Fantastic Blue): 6.00 in to 5.00.
Favourite (Maroon Bells): 3.50 out to 4.20. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Just A Piccolo (J. Bowditch) was slow to jump, losing valuable ground. Trainer E. Hayes stated that the horse would be sent for a spell and undertook to trial it when it returns from a spell.

Machination (B. El-Issa) and Lucky Dubai (O. Turpin) made contact on jumping away.

Rounding the first turn Easy Knight (J. Wood) commenced to over-race and shifted out.

Secrets (Michael Palmer) commenced to over-race approaching the first turn and continued to over-race, proving difficult for M. Palmer to control. Trainer's representative Mr J. Judge stated that Secrets had stepped up in distance for today's race and felt the blinkers may have affected the horse insofar as it over-racing. Mr Judge added that he had been in contact with trainer M. Webb who indicated to him that he intended to give the horse a short spell and would barrier trial it with blinkers before racing again.

Near the 1100m Spinelli (P. Hammersley) had to be steadied off the heels of Secrets and shifted out taking Fantastic Blue (T. Bell), which had been racing wide, a little wider on the track.

Machination was obliged to race wide in the middle stages.

Maroon Bells (J. Holder) was held up rounding the home turn. Golden Dove (J. Taylor) was held up rounding the home turn and then was obliged to alter course to obtain clear running.

Lochiel (J. Byrne) had difficulty securing clear running in the early stages of the straight.