EF MAY 01 - GUY HAPPY WITH FAB FEVOLA’S EFFORT

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, May 4, 2010

While disappointed not to come away with the result, trainer Bryan Guy was happy with the performance of the three-year-old chestnut Fab Fevola who gave his all when just touched off by Honest Truth at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Speaking at the Sunshine Coast meeting a day after Fab Fevola’s run Guy confirmed he was satisfied with the run of his horse, but he also alluded to being mystified at the weight allocation for the race.

Trainer Bryan Guy: “The horse pulled up good. I thought his run yesterday was very good. The time was great. He was attacked the whole way and the horse that attacked him early (Power Of George) ran a furlong last while he was still in there fighting, beaten half-a-head.”(In fairness to Power Of George the Stewards Report stated that it was found the Power Of George had been galloped on the near-foreleg during the running).

“He (Fab Fevola) wasn’t stopping at the line and, even after the line he was still ready to go on. Like, I say, I thought the run was good. The winner (Honest Truth) did get across and got a nice soft run up behind them and popped out and finished well.

“There is a race coming up in a fortnight’s time at Doomben and I’ll just probably take him there ... back at Doomben. He seems to race better at Doomben than at Eagle Farm.” (Two of Fab Fevola’s three wins have come at Doomben).

Interestingly enough, Fab Fevola, who looks like a dead-set 1000m horse, has yet to win over that distance. His wins to date have been over 900m and 1100m.

Then the query.

Guy: “I’ve still got to have a look to confirm ... I’ve got to go through it myself, I haven’t had a good look yet ... I’m pretty sure that horse (Honest Truth) ran a place in a Listed race or something.* If it has, I’m a three-year-old Class 3 horse. Really, by rights, he should have been up around the 56kg sort of mark.

“It’s past tense and, like I say, I’m happy with my run. Honest Truth is obviously a good horse and he won well. All I’m saying is, if that is the case, I don’t understand how they got to the weight difference we ran at on Saturday.”

*Honest Truth is an interesting runner. He did run second in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes, finishing 4.30 lengths behind Shellscrape and beating the likes of Shadow Assassin and Rothesay into third and fourth placing respectively. That was in his second start after winning his Maiden on debut by six lengths.

Honest Truth then stepped straight up into Group 1 company for his third start where he finished unplaced in the Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200m, coming home a creditable 3.50 lengths behind Headway. That run brought an end to his first preparation.

Honest Truth was not handed any easy return when he resumed after a three month layoff. He was again asked to compete at Group 1 level, this time in the Lightning Stakes over 1000m. He finished unplaced, six lengths behind the triple Group 1 winner Nicconi.

Honest Truth had a further two runs before winning at Eagle Farm on Saturday. He finished a 0.30 length second in a Quality race won by Winter King (over 1100m)and two weeks later he finished unplaced behind The Mikado in the Listed Strada Stakes over 1200m at Randwick. Then it was on to his victorious run at Eagle Farm on Saturday when he nailed Fab Fevola in the last few strides to take his career to two wins and two places from seven starts.

For his part, Fab Fevola was already a three-time winner going into Saturday’s race. Like Honest Truth, Fab Fevola won on debut. That win came in Maiden company at the Gold Coast. The chestnut added a further two wins in Open Three-year-old Handicaps in his second preparation. In the second of those wins Fab Fevola defeated Group 2 winner Funtantes by half-a-length when 2kg better off at the weights with his rival.

In his third preparation Fab Fevola’s best result was a runner-up finish behind Warrior Girl in a $250000 Quality Sprint.

Honest Truth went into Saturday’s race as a one-time winner with stake earnings of $66500.

Fab Fevola went into Saturday’s race as a three time winner with stake earnings of $180050.

When they met on Saturday, Honest Truth was allocated 54kg. Fab Fevola carried 53kg.

More articles