EF MAR 20 - CITIWYSE TAKES SHORTEST ROUTE TO VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Eagle Farm, March 20, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - true.
1MW Handicap - 1400m. Time: 1-22.75. (Carry 56.5kg).
1 Citiwyse; 2 Smart Punch; 3 Agnes Dream.

After a rare hiccup last time, the Peter Fleming trained Citiwyse came right back to his best when scoring in emphatic fashion under a brave-rails hugging ride by Kelvin Wharton.

The four-year-old is now a six-time winner from nineteen starts.

Wharton was content to ease Citiwyse into the race. The four-year-old raced in midfield in the early park. Citiwyse found the rail in mid-race and he saved ground in the sweep to the turn before straightening in seventh place, some four lengths behind the free-running Pertinence, who brought the field into the home straight.

The favourite Smart Punch made his move early in the straight going out hard after Pertinence. Wharton had to hold station for a moment while the likes of Smart Punch were quickening around him but, when Agnes Dream, who was racing ahead of Citiwyse, moved fractionally off the rail and gave Citiwyse a sniff of a run, Wharton urged his mount forward and Citiwyse was game enough to take up the challenge.

As Smart Punch moved up to join issue with Pertinence approaching the 200m mark, Citiwyse brushed past Agnes Dream to get into third spot ... and, now in a galloping mood, he continued his run hard up against the inside running rail.

Smart Punch put paid to Pertinence and took over the lead with 180m left to run, but his advantage was short-lived as Wharton changed gears one more time on Citiwyse, who surged forward to have his race won within a matter of strides inside the final 150m.

Citiwyse cemented his authority by staying on strongly over the concluding stages to record a solid win. Smart Punch and Agnes Dream filled the minor placings.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Fleming: “Nothing went our way last week. He is still a bull and he over-raced bad, you know.

“I thought this far in his preparation he might have started to relax a bit, but he is still a bit headstrong. There wasn’t any real game-plan going into the race except that he needs cover, otherwise he over-races.

“He sort of jumped well, got into a good position, relaxed and finished off real well ... and he took the shortest way home which always helps. He’s won a couple here like that.”

Jockey Kelvin Wharton: “He needs a few things to go his way. The other day (when, uncharacteristically, finishing well back behind Rothera at Doomben) not a lot went his way. Yeah, he pretty well needs everything to go his way or his just that couple of lengths off them.

“We jumped from a reasonably awkward alley, but he got over beautifully on to the fence. Everything just opened up lovely until we got a crack at the leader. The leader only rolled off three-quarters of a horse.

“There was just one concern at the 300 whether he would get through the gap. The run was awfully tight, but I had enough horse underneath me to get there and push my way through. Once he got through nothing was going to run him down.

“It was a good win. It always helps when you got the right horse and you can put yourself there and you’ve got something underneath you. You can only do it if you have got the horse underneath you who is willing to take those runs. That’s where I was lucky. I had the right horse to make that run.

“He has the ability to win in better company. Like I say, he needs to have things go his own way where he can relax off a nice alley. He can over-race a little bit which can be a problem but, yes, I think he can progress to a better class.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Citiwyse): 11.00 out to 12.00 in to 9.00.
Favourite (Smart Punch): 3.50 out to 4.20. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Eddie Rapido (J. Bowditch) was slow to begin. Use To Be A Dancer (J. Byrne) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Flood Hero (G. Lynch) began awkwardly and shifted out, hampering Mystic Vibe (M. Cahill).

Near the 500m, Bringelly (L. Cassidy), when being steadied off the heels of Mystic Vibe (M. Cahill), shifted out, making heavy contact with the hind quarters of Three Chances (J. Taylor) on two occasions.

Passing the 300m, Bringelly shifted out around the heels of Three Chances (J. Taylor), which was weakening, and bumped heavily with Flood Hero, which was taken out on to Sir Roseland (C. McIver), which was also hampered. Both G. Lynch, rider of Flood Hero, and C. McIver, rider of Sir Roseland, became unbalanced in this incident.

When assessing this matter, stewards were of the view that Bringelly became awkward on the heels of Three Chances prior to shifting ground and that movement outwards was to prevent the likelihood of clipping the heels of Three Chances. In the circumstances, no direct action was taken.

Near the 100m, Millers Wheel (T. Lovelock-Wiggins) had to be checked when tightened for room between Mauries Pick (M. Hellyer), which initially shifted in, and Mystic Vibe, which was taken out by Bann Ruby (J. Stanley), which shifted out to obtain clear running. J. Stanley, rider of Bann Ruby, was reprimanded and advised to be fully clear when shifting ground.

Apprentice T. Bell was questioned regarding the riding tactics employed on Pertinence today in being was ridden forward to the lead near the 1000m, which was in contrast to its normal racing pattern. T. Bell explained that after beginning well rather than restraining the mare, he elected to press forward and take Pertinence to the lead.