DOOM MAY 22 - PUMPER GETS STRYKER HOME

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Monday, May 24, 2010

Doomben, May 22, 2010.
Fred Best Classic (Group 3 - 3yo - Set Weights) - 1350m.
Time: 1-19.14. Carrying 56kg.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 2m.
1 Stryker; 2 Happy Hippy; 3 Graceful Anna.

The Chris Waller trained Stryker claimed his first Group success when he proved too strong for his rivals in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic which was decided over 1350m at Doomben on Saturday.

The horse’s strike-rate (one win from twelve starts going into this contest) was a point of debate going into the race. Those who put a question mark behind his name pointed to his solitary win (which came in Listed company) and queried whether the colt had what it takes to finish off the job.

Those who drilled down deeper were happy to allow that that statistic was misleading. They believed that Stryker’s efforts when finishing in third place behind Denman in the Golden Rose and his fourth place just 1.10 lengths behind Ortensia in the Galaxy - both Group 1 events - were good enough credentials for the colt to score here.

That argument apart, there were two real difficulties that stood in the way of Stryker and his place in the winners’ enclosure. Firstly, the barrier draw - fourteen out of sixteen - complicated his task. Secondly, the bang-in-form Graceful Anna was sure to test his resilience.

Graceful Anna was in the middle of a love affair with Queensland where she had won three of her last four starts. All of those wins came in feature events - the Vo Rogue (where she beat subsequent multiple Group 1 winner Shoot Out), the lucrative Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Trophy and the Silk Stocking.

Those were strong credentials indeed and punters went with the filly, installing her as a clear-cut $2.25 favourite. Stryker was relatively easy to back at $7.50.

Graceful Anna is never short of gate speed and the gutsy filly duly landed in the lead ahead of Purettan. Tierqualo was also fast away on the outside. Stryker jumped well enough he but wasn’t chased by Cassidy who was happy to settle his mount some five to six lengths off the lead.

Graceful Anna happily gave way to Tierqualo as the field entered the first bend. Purettan continued to hold his position up with the leaders, while Stryker, although held wide throughout, travelled comfortably as Cassidy bided his time.

The field took closer order in the sweep to the turn as jockey Matthew Palmer gave Tierqualo a breather up front before launching his final finishing effort coming out of the final turn.

Graceful Anna, who had been given the run of the race by Larry Cassidy, was looking to switch around the heels of Tierqualo on straightening, but when Tierqualo kicked away Graceful Anna had to re-group and start the chase after the leader. Purettan and Lochiel were also in striking distance and they loomed up on the outside of Graceful Anna.

Tierqualo was running a huge race up front, making a mockery of his $21.00 odds, and it took everything Graceful Anna had to reel in the hard-running grey, but the most telling effort were now being produced down the centre of the track with the famous all-cerise colours of Stryker to the fore as Jim Cassidy unleashed the son of Fastnet Rock on its winning path.

The timing of the move was backed by the willingness of the horse to accelerate on cue and it soon became apparent that the best of the rest would only be picking up consolation prizes as this was to be Stryker’s day, the Group win and its attendant prize-money being of particular significance in the colt’s quest for a place in the Stradbroke.

Happy Hippy, who came from well back in the straight, successfully tracked Stryker through to the finish to earn an eye-catching runner-up finish. Graceful Anna had to settle for third place. Tierqualo finished fourth.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Chris Waller: “As Jimmy (Cassidy) said before he went out, ‘I am on the best horse’ ... as Jimmy can say from time to time. He backs himself and that is why he is a great jockey.

“He sat very wide, but he had cover. He nursed him coming to the corner and he exploded when it counted. It was a very dominant win. No, I didn’t feel comfortable during the run ... certainly not. That’s why you pay to get the best jockeys you can for the right horses. Jimmy suits this horse well.

“Well we believe he has come back a better horse, but obviously he needs to do it on the race-day. Today he proved that he has. Now we’ve just got to worry about getting him to the Stradbroke and hopefully not having to run before and if we do, finding the right race for him.

“We will just weigh everything up on Monday. You have got to be realistic. We have got to make sure that he is placed right so, ... just see where he sits in the prize money order and what other horses might pull out in front of him and things like that. It won’t be anything too exciting, it will just be the obvious.

“No, it wouldn’t worry me if I had to back him up into the Stradbroke. I thought he’d got away on us this week which was a two week back-up. He’s a colt. He’s got the best attitude. You’ll see when he comes back in that he is still quite burly. He would have had a good blow today. Probably clean him up for next week more than anything. But obviously that is a lot harder option. You have got to be confident of winning at Group 1 level to do that.

“He’s a colt. He is knocking on the door and I guess he needs to win a Group 1. If I had to run him again (before the Stradbroke) I would probably be favouring Doomben 10,000 slightly.”

Jockey Jim Cassidy: “I’ve liked him for a long time. I won a listed race on him at Canterbury last prep and I have been lucky enough that the Inghams and Chris (Waller) have stayed with me.

“Yeah, look, I really like the horse. He is going somewhere, you know, ... he is heading towards the Stradbroke which was always Chris’s plan. It was a little bit of a D-day today. He had to produce the goods and stand up and be counted today which he has been able to do from a bad alley. So things are looking pretty good.

“I think he should have won at the Gold Coast a fortnight ago. He should have won and won easy. Then he has had a bit of bad luck with barriers but look, that is behind us ... we won today and we’re looking forward to the Stradbroke.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Stryker): 6.00 out to 8.00 in to 7.50.
Favourite (Graceful Anna): 2.25 steady. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer L. Macdonald was fined $100 under AR. 140A for presenting Miss With Attitude to race without blinkers.

Connections advised that Launay would be ridden just off the speed if possible.

Purettan (D. Oliver) knuckled at the start. Listen Son (K. Banks) was slow to begin. Umanugget (S. Seamer) was hampered on jumping away when tightened for room between Lochiel (B. Shinn) and Miss With Attitude (C. Lindop), both of which shifted ground.

After passing the 1200m Purettan had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Graceful Anna (L. Cassidy), which shifted in when not quite clear. L. Cassidy was advised to exercise greater care when shifting ground.

When the pace steadied near the 800m Listen Son had to be eased to avoid the heels of Lochiel. Listen Son then shifted wider on the track where it raced for the remainder of the event.

Approaching the 600m Stryker (J. Cassidy) commenced to over-race and had to be checked to avoid the heels of Lochiel. Miss With Attitude, which was following, had to be checked in consequence and shifted out abruptly and made heavy contact with Streets Away (G. Colless), forcing that runner wider on the track and out on to Patapinda (D. Browne), which was also forced wider.

Also near the 600m Lochiel shifted in and bumped Launay (K. McEvoy), which tightened the running of Beethog (J. Stanley). As a result of this Sophrosyne (M. Zahra), which was following, also had to be steadied, and that runner shifted out resulting in Dual Chamber (C. Munce) having to be checked.

Over the concluding stages Dual Chamber (C. Munce), when weakening, was tightened for room between Sophrosyne and Umanugget (S. Seamer) which shifted out.

Rider J. Stanley was unable to offer any explanation for the disappointing performance of Beethog today. He explained that although the filly was hampered near the 600m, she failed to respond to his riding in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination of Beethog failed to reveal any abnormalities.

A post-race veterinary examination of Captain Clayton revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-foreleg and had lost its off-fore plate in running. Trainer R. Heathcote was advised that he would be required to produce a veterinary clearance for Captain Clayton prior to it racing again.

A post-race veterinary examination of Patapinda revealed that it had an elevated heart rate.

Lochiel lost its near-hind plate in running.

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