DOOM MAR 13 - SOMMERSEA DRIVE FINDS TOP GEAR

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Doomben, March 13, 2010.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True.
Open Handicap - 1350m. Time: 1-20.61. (Carrying 57.5kg).
1 Sommersea Drive; 2 Steel Lips; 3 Cocktail Supreme.

The real Sommersea Drive stepped up to the mark here to score a commanding win.

The gelding, who has flattered but failed to finish the job in several runs this prep, took no prisoners this time around. He lifted his game to this new level in spite of the fact that he was never on the track throughout the race and was carrying the steadying burden of 57.5kg on his back.

Caught wide from his outside draw and with fair speed on up front, jockey Michael Cahill was content to allow Sommersea Drive to settle worse than midfield in the early part.

The five-year-old improved his position marginally in the sweep to the turn with Cahill nursing him through that part of the race as he raced six wide. He cornered six to seven lengths off the lead and, given the extra ground he had covered, it looked like Sommersea Drive might come under sufferance in the straight, but the opposite proved to be true.

Cahill waited just that little bit longer in the straight before asking the gelding to quicken. As soon as he got that signal Sommersea Drive pushed forward on cue and he quickly built momentum.

Coming up to the 200m mark Sommersea Drive was in full cry down the outside of the track. There were still six runners ahead of him to his inside, spread across the track, and all of them still thought they had a chance, but Sommersea Drive dropped on them so quickly that he swept past them all with the minimum of fuss between the 200m and 100m marks to basically turn it into a one horse race over the concluding stages.

Clearly a smart horse on his day, Sommersea Drive is now a twelve-time winner from forty-seven starts. He has banked $328000 in stake earnings.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Trevor Miller: “The speed was on. He is a bit hard to ride this horse. He is not a kid’s horse. Damian (Browne) rode him well the other day, but he races very well for Michael (Cahill).

“He’s been a good horse right through. He can be his own worst enemy though and some days he just needs a bit of luck. If the pace is on he is alright, otherwise he can get his head up which spoils his chances.

“He is as good today as he has been at any time. He just needed a bit of luck to go his way. The little bit of give in the ground helps him as well. I was a bit concerned about the weight, but Michael made up for that.”

Jockey Michael Cahill: “He is not an easy horse, but I was fortunate today because the race was run to suit him and he was able to settle.

“Once he gets into a rhythm he will settle and he is able to relax and leave his best till the last. If the pace doesn’t suit him at all, he is very light-mouthed and he can get his head in the air and that’s the end of him.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sommersea Drive): 12.00 out to 15.00.
Favourite (Charming Rogue): 3.10 out to 3.80. Finished fifth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Shortly after the start Deception Bay (M. Speers), which was a little slow to begin, had to be steadied from the hind quarters of Fangles (M. Radecker) which shifted in. Test Edition (B. El-Issa) jumped away awkwardly.

Passing the 700m Test Edition shifted in resulting in Charming Rogue (J. Wood) having to be steadied. B. El-Issa, the rider of Test Edition, was told to exercise more care. Charming Rogue then commenced to over-race at the heels of Test Edition and shifted out taking Cocktail Supreme (J. Taylor) wider on the track.

Nexgen (A. Spinks), Sommersea Drive (M. Cahill), Deception Bay and Mosta House (J. Holder) raced wide throughout.

Leaving the 200m Nexgen shifted out taking Deception Bay wider on the track.

Steel Lips (J. Byrne) had difficulty securing clear running until a point approaching the 100m.

Apprentice T. Lovelock-Wiggins pleaded guilty to a charge under AR. 137A(5)(2) in that he used the whip on Bazzooka in a forehand manner on six occasions prior to the 100m and was fined $300.