EF MAR 20 - PLAN COMES TOGETHER FOR HIDDEN KISSES

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Eagle Farm, March 20, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
2yo QTIS 600 Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-23.96. (Carrying 56.5kg).
1 Hidden Kisses; 2 Hour Of Peril; 3 Stephen Got Even.

Most trainers are happy to have a bite at the biggest apple available. Most owners are happy to follow their trainer’s lead.

So it made a change when trainer Robert Heathcote and the connections of the two-year-old filly Hidden Kisses decided to race at Eagle Farm as opposed to the big money QTIS race at the Gold Coast. The filly had been nominated for both races, but the choice came down in favour of Eagle Farm.

The decision was no spin of a coin, but rather a measured judgement related to a number of considerations and, with jockey Larry Cassidy riding a perfect race and the filly rising to the occasion, every piece of the puzzle fell into place as Hidden Kisses won her race in convincing fashion.

Cassidy had to be patient early. He wanted to take his mount back from the wide draw, but with the field taking its time to get up to speed, it took Cassidy a while to ease back and cross to the inside. Hidden Kisses eventually settled at the rear of the field, some seven to eight lengths off Hubert who chased out of the pack to take up the running ahead of the Hour Of Peril and Stephen Got Even.

Hidden Kisses improved her position saving ground in the sweep to the turn and by the time she straightened she had halved the distance between herself and the leader. Hubert still held that position, but Hour Of Peril and Stephen Got Even were quickly on his case.

As the race came down to the business end of affairs, Hubert was the first to cry enough and Hour Of Peril eased ahead of Stephen Got Even at the 200m mark. Cassidy has Hidden Kisses in chase mode now, but she was still three lengths off Hour Of Peril with 180m left to run.

Coming past the 100m Hidden Kisses had made up ground to be a little over a length off Hour Of Peril. In the next couple of strides it became apparent that Hour Of Peril had little more to offer while Hidden Kisses was only really winding up and the latter forged to the front when it mattered most to score a finely judged 0.50 length victory.

Full credit must also go to the minor place-getters Hour Of Peril and Stephen got even, who did a fair amount of work early and who were both brave enough to stay on to earn their pay-cheque.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Robert Heathcote (speaking before the race, explaining his reason for running Hidden Kisses in a $110000 race at Eagle Farm as opposed to $250000 race at the Gold Coast): “My dad always said to me, little fish are sweet ... and $74000 (the first prize on offer at Eagle Farm) is a nice little tadpole.

“At the end of the day it was an owner’s decision. Richard Pegum, in London, he made the call. I said down at the coast it is bigger money, but we drew awkwardly ... it is a tighter track ... 1200m. You know and that’s the little issue here today. She’s stepping up to 1400, second-up, but I’m reasonably confident she can win.”

Trainer Robert Heathcote (speaking after the race): “Like I said, little fish are sweet.

“I said to Larry (Cassidy) when he got on, she needs to show me today enough to warrant taking her to the Sires Produce in Sydney. Ride her like a good thing. He’s done that. It’s come off. That’s why he is a Group 1 jockey.

“So, yes, we will go to Sydney now for the Sires Produce on April 10. That will be her next run.

“Yeah, it was a tough call whether to come here or go to the coast but, you know, we’ve put $74000 in the bank and the race at the coast hasn’t even been run yet. That was part of the decision making process. The QTIS 600 prize-money down at the coast would not have counted in terms of getting her into the Sires.

“I’ve got a huge opinion of this filly. I’ve always had a good opinion of the Hidden Dragon’s, not just this particular filly ... and I think I’m in a position to be able to say that because I’ve got about a dozen of them in my stable ... and I do think they will be better next year.

“It is just a nice bonus to think that this filly is doing this now.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “We sort of looked at the race and I thought there is really no spot for us to be in midfield. I said to Rob, I prefer to come back and if we get too far out of our ground I’ll ride her for luck, because if we are going to beat them it is going to be the last bit. She can run 1400 and probably the others are suspect.

“She is a really lovely filly. She takes everything in her stride.

“She began well. Like if I had of dug her up I could have been closer, but I would have been off the track. I just thought, come back to last ... find the fence ... if we run home and get beat well, you’d blame the barrier.

“We’ve always liked her and I think she can win a nice race now, but geez, I think she is an Oaks filly. I think you’ll see a lot more of her next season.

“Look, I will stay with the ride when she goes to Sydney if I can. What she is doing now is way more than she should probably be doing at this stage. She’s going to be even better as a three-year-old. She is a three-year-old in the making.

“I’ll go ride her to keep the ride whether she can win the race or not. If she can’t win it, she’ll run a bloody good race, I can tell you.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hidden Kisses): 2.50 in to 2.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Hubert (M. Cahill) shifted out at the start, resulting in Emerald Isle (J. Wood) being hampered.

Stephen Got Even (J. Taylor) shifted out a short distance after the start, resulting in Top Brass (J. Bowditch) and Aessex (K. Wharton) being taken wider on the track.

Bradbury's Fortune (M. Radecker), In A Tangle (M. Hellyer) and True Blue Angel (G. Lynch) and Aessex (K. Wharton) all over-raced in the early stages.

Approaching the 1000m, True Blue Angel, when over-racing, had to be steadied off the heels of In A Tangle, which shifted out slightly. Aessex which was following and also over-racing, had to be checked to avoid the heels of True Blue Angel.

African Mama (M. Palmer) raced greenly in the middle stages, and for some distance after passing the 800m had to be restrained to avoid the heels of Heavens Own (T. Bell).

Near the 700m, Emerald Isle (J. Wood), which was over-racing, had to be checked to avoid the heels of Castle Express (J. Byrne). This resulted in Hidden Kisses (L. Cassidy), which was trailing, also having to be eased.

Near the 200m, Emerald Isle, when attempting to take a narrow run between Castle Express and Top Brass, had to be checked when Top Brass was taken out by Hidden Kisses, which shifted out around the heels of Stephen Got Even (J. Taylor) to obtain clear running. L. Cassidy, rider of Hidden Kisses, issued with a reprimand and advised to take greater care when shifting out in similar circumstances.

Approaching the 100m, J. Taylor, rider of Stephen Got Even, dropped his whip.

Bradbury's Fortune, Heavens Own (T. Bell) and African Mama (M. Palmer) raced wide throughout.

M. Cahill, rider of Hubert, reported that whilst he was instructed to ride Hubert from a midfield or rearward position, he was trapped wide early and was obliged to press forward to the leading position in order to assume a position closer to the rail.

Apprentice T. Bell was questioned regarding the performance of Heavens Own, which weakened badly in the home straight. He explained that although he was obliged to race wide until approaching the home turn, when he placed the filly under pressure, Heavens Own immediately lost ground and, in his opinion, may have come to the end of its preparation. A post race veterinary examination of Heavens Own failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

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