DOOM MAY 29 - TABULATE SCORES ONE FOR THE HOME TEAM

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Doomben, May 29, 2010.
Premier’s Cup (Group 3 - Quality) - 2200m.
Time: 2-16.64. (Carrying 53kg).
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True.
1 Tabulate; 2 Albertinelli; 3 Larry’s Never Late.

There was only a short-half-head in it at the line, but you don't get paid any extra for winning by further. The winning margin is immaterial. It is the result that counts.

Tabulate's effort hard along the inside running rail to win the Premier's Cup by that narrow margin was superb. In fact the five-year-old's run of success since stepping up to 2020m and beyond seven runs ago has been hard to fault.

The gelding finished second in his first look at 2020m for trainer Robert Heathcote. He then adjusted his sights and blew the opposition away in each of his next four starts as both his career and his reputation built momentum with the good judgement of jockey Jim Byrne being an integral part of that success.

That winning sequence came to an end in the Chairman's Handicap on May 15 at Doomben when Tabulate was beaten into ninth place 5.30 lengths behind Crossthestart.

Tabulate has now run eleven times in this extended first preparation for the Heathcote stable dating back to November 21, 2009 and he will line-up for start number twelve when he tackles the Brisbane Cup in two weeks time.

Tabulate's campaign has been well managed by Heathcote who seems to have found the key to the gelding having clearly spaced the runs well enough to keep his charge in fighting trim. In fact Tabulate has, if anything, got better with each assignment and he could not have been stronger when he prevailed in a dogfight of a finish in the Premier's Cup.

As usual Byrne allowed Tabulate to take his time to settle into the race. He settled his mount well off the speed racing with only four runners behind him, as Sand Hawk slipped around his field leaving the first turn and went to take up the running ahead of Crossthestart, Larry's Never Late and Albertinelli.

Sand Hawk led by two lengths going down the back straight, but the field took a lot closer order as the runners began the sweep to the final turn. At that stage Crossthestart went up to pressure Sand Hawk for the lead. Solid Billing, who had made an early forward move, Larry's Never Late and Albertinelli, were all waiting in ambush, just behind the leaders, while Byrne had now moved Tabulate up to midfield saving ground on the rail.

As Sand Hawk cried enough and Solid Billing's run ended early, Crossthestart surged forward on straightening ... but he had company. Larry's Never Late matched Crossthestart's move, as did Albertinelli along the inside. With 280m left to run these runners were all racing flat out in three-way test of strength. Tabulate was now showing a turn of foot of his own and was quickening up nicely along the inside. He now had only two lengths to find on the leaders.

Abertinelli edged ahead of Larry's Never Late inside the final 150m. Crossthestart wasn't finding anything extra, before being baulked in the closing stages, but Tabulate was full of fight and he stormed up along the inside rail under a vigorous ride from Byrne.

Abertinelli still looked for all of the world like a winner a few strides from the line, but Tabulate wasn't finished yet and he dived late, put his head down and stole the result away from the game Albertinelli in the final stride to taste Group 3 success.

The latter had to settle for second place just a short neck ahead of Larry's Never Late. The favourite Hissing Sid, who did not have a comfortable passage in the first half of the race, ran on too late to have a major say. Hissing Sid finished fourth.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Robert Heathcote: “I give Jimmy Byrne credit. He said this horse has a good win in him a long time ago and he won four in a row. Last week the tempo wasn’t there. Today the tempo was there. We knew he would handle the track.

"We had to repel the boat refugees from New Zealand and we did it with a local horse. But I had to use a Kiwi horse to do it. In two weeks time we’re here and the horse is well and we are thrilled. The Brisbane Cup is definitely on the cards. The 2400m ... this horse has been crying out for it the way he has hit the line.

"He’s promised a good win, this horse, for quite a while. You know, today he has proven that he is a pretty strong horse. Finally today he drew a barrier which enabled us to get a little bit closer but geez, full credit to Jim (Byrne).

"He settled worse than mid-field. He stole runs. He stole runs up the inside and that was the winning move. He punched him through and I loved the way he hit the line. Nice win.

"The owner was worried. it was one of his biggest worries that I was going into the carnival with a horse that has had too many starts. But he’s so clean winded and so resilient. I have made no secret that we’ve given him quite a few trips to the beach. We have worked on his mental attitude and it is working.

"This has been my first preparation with the horse. It has been an extended one, but a good one.

"Brisbane Cup is next ... it would be nice to win the local cup. At the end of the day if he wins the Brisbane Cup we are certainly not going to discount going down south in the spring. I might have to put a nom in for something like that. I have got be careful because these certain media people call you idiots when you aim high.

"To (owner) John Thompson over in New Zealand ... he is a great supporter of racing on both sides of the Tasman ... well done to John!

Jockey Jim Byrne: "The other day it was a really walking, muddling affair.

"I had a bad gate and in the end I thought I would just let the horse find his way through it and hopefully find his feet and hopefully they would put a bit of tempo on. They didn’t. It was a sit and sprint.

"They only sprinted home 500m the other day and it was pretty difficult for him to pick up and sprint, whereas today he drew the gate and, even though it was a muddling affair, I just kept getting up on the paint, getting up on the paint and trying to make sure he had clear running in the straight.

"He’ll definitely be competitive in the Brisbane Cup. He’s got a got a really good turn of foot and he can really run some nice sections but, as a general rule, you need good tempo in a race especially with a horse that's got as good a turn of foot as he does.

"Robbie (Heathcote) has done a really good job with him. He’s tried to space his runs so that every time that he’s comes back he's ready ... he’s been beating these horses up here because he’s been better than them.

"Coming into these sort of races you really want him to start hitting his mark and I think Robbie’s got the right ingredients for the horse and he’s just basically got the horse ticking over nicely at the moment."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Tabulate): 10.00 in to 8.50.
Favourite (Hissing Sid): 4.00 in to 3.80 out to 4.00.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Jockey B. Shinn was fined $200 for accepting dual engagements on both Albertinelli and Sand Hawk. Stewards subsequently approved C. Newitt as the rider of Sand Hawk.

Dandaad (M. Cahill) jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Hissing Sid (N. Rawiller) was slow to begin.

Approaching the winning post on the first occasion, Solid Billing (L. Cassidy) commenced to race very fiercely and shifted out off the heels of Baughurst (B. Melham). As a result, Sir Slick and Court Ruler (D. Nikolic) were tightened for room by Solid Billing, which shifted out, and Albertinelli (B. Shinn), which shifted in slightly after being taken in initially by Larry's Never Late (L Nolen).

Turning out of the home straight on the first occasion, Hissing Sid (N. Rawiller) commenced to over-race and had to be steadied off the heels of Sir Slick (D. Walsh). Hissing Sid then shifted out, resulting in Lyncean Academy (R. Wiggins) being hampered and taken wider on the track.

Near the 1400m, Tinseltown (C. Grylls) was momentarily cramped for room by Sir Slick (D. Walsh), which shifted in and away from Court Ruler (D. Nikolic).

Passing the 1400m, Baughurst (B. Melham) had to be eased when tightened for room by Albertinelli (B. Shinn) which was taken in by Larry's Never Late (L. Nolen). L. Nolen, rider of Larry's Never Late, was issued with a reprimand and advised to exercise more care when shifting ground in future.

Rounding the home turn, Fulmonti (M. Walker), which was laying in, was taken wider on the track by Indikator (G. Colless), which shifted out to improve.

Rounding the home turn and in the early part of the straight until near the 200m, Tinseltown was held up and unable to obtain clear running.

Near the 200m, Solid Billing was tightened for room when weakening between Lyncean Academy (R. Wiggins) and Court Ruler, which shifted out after being bumped by Baughurst (B. Melham).

Solid Billing (L. Cassidy) raced three wide without cover over the final 900m.

Over the concluding stages, Crossthestart (C. Munce) was tightened for room between Albertinelli (B. Shinn) and Larry's Never Late (L. Nolen), which shifted in under pressure.

Lyncean Academy (R. Wiggins) and Hissing Sid (N. Rawiller) raced wide throughout.

On return to scale, D. Walsh reported that Sir Slick did not feel comfortable in its action in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination of Sir Slick failed to reveal any significant abnormalities. In consideration of the horse's finishing position and D. Walsh's comments, stewards ordered a veterinary certificate of fitness be produced for Sir Slick prior to its next race start.

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