DOOM MAY 29 - PRINCE BRAEMAN SCORES WELL-JUDGED WIN

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Thursday, June 3, 2010

Doomben, May 29, 2010.
Chief De Beers Handicap (Quality - Listed) - 1110m.
Time: 1-04.64. (Carrying 55kg).
Track - Slow 6. Rail - True.
1 Prince Braeman; 2 Joint Chiefs; 3 Fab Fevola.

Jockey Danny Nikolic rode his second winner at the meeting and trainer Paul Perry went one better than the second placed he earned with Guderian in the opening event on the card when Prince Braeman stormed home to win the Listed Chief De Beers Handicap at Doomben on Saturday in most convincing fashion.

The gelding was having his second start since resuming and he was produced spot on for the task at hand which he completed with relish.

Whenever Fab Fevola is in the line-up, the pace is assured. The flashy chestnut flew out of the barriers and chased into an immediate lead. Black Prince, who landed awkwardly from his wide draw, elected to push forward and he went right up to stalk Fab Fevola, an early effort which would take its toll on him later in the race.

Honest Truth and Tariks tracked the speed while Nikolic put Prince Braeman in a perfect position, lying in wait in fifth spot some five lengths off the speedster up front.

There was no let-up from Fab Fevola in the sweep to the turn. Black Prince was already feeling the pinch and, although Black Prince still held second spot on straightening, he was now two lengths off the leader and in trouble. Honest Truth was being scrubbed along a further two lengths behind that while Nikolic was now switching Prince Braeman into chase mode as he came around the heels of Honest Truth. Tariks had had enough and was dropping out of it.

While the main chasing group took time to build momentum, Fab Fevola was able to increase his lead to three lengths coming trough the 200m mark, but he then started to tire and shorten his stride over the concluding stages. Prince Braeman was now in full cry and Nikolic had timed his finishing effort to perfection as he forged up alongside Fab Fevola with 75m left to run before going on to win by a clear-cut 1.25 length margin.

In the end, Fab Fevola’s effort was only worth third place as he was touched off by a short-half-head by Joint Chiefs for the runner-up position.

Pay careful attention to the run of Joint Chiefs. The Brian Wakefield trained runner cornered at the rear of the field easily ten lengths off the lead. He was hopelessly off the lead and still a whole five lengths behind the hard-charging Prince Braeman coming through the 200m mark … and still there was no hint of what was to follow.

It was only with 120 left to run that Joint Chiefs exploded into action. Over the final stages he raced right past six horses, taking the line between Honest Truth and the ever-game Forestreno (who would finish fourth) to get up to snare Fab Fevola in the shadow of the post to claim second spot, only 1.25 lengths behind the winner. This was a big run.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Paul Perry: "It has been good, I thought he was the right horse for here today, you know, with the conditions and all that. He’s a very honest sort of a horse, I thought he’d be hard to beat.

"That was Danny (Nikolic’s) plan, because there was so much speed in the race, to take a nice sit. They look like they went very hard and he is pretty fit now, you know, so I wasn’t that worried. That horse (Fab Fevola) had a big break, but geez they went hard.

"I think we will keep him up here now. There should be a race for him across the road (at Eagle Farm). There's nothing really specific at the moment. He’s in the Stradbroke. He is in those sort of races because you've got to be sort of thing. We will see how he goes.

"I suppose you could say he has gone to another level over the last six months. He has won a Listed race back home and things like that. He’s a very honest horse. He’s been a lovely horse. He loves the wet. It looked good this morning when it was raining.

"I reckon any owner who could race a horse race like him would be tickled pink. He tries his insides out."

Jockey Danny Nikolic: "They went very hard the two leaders and I suppose they had to come back, but my bloke did a good job because I was chasing hard from about the 500 and he was very strong on the line.

"As I said, they went very hard and they are always going to be vulnerable the last 150m in a race like that when they go so hard, but to my horse's credit he stuck on really well and he never gave up the chase. One thing he did do, he knuckled down in that going and he probably likes it even a little bit worse, so he done a very good job.

"I did think he was going to get there. They went too hard. They had to stop, so I was always confident of picking up those horses. He had a nice run in the race. He’s a lovely horse, very genuine."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Prince Braeman): 3.80 out to 4.00 in to 3.90.
The winner was the favourite. He was the only outright favourite to win on the day.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer B. Wakefield was fined $100 for presenting Joint Chiefs late to the enclosure.

Fasdehere became fractious in its race day stall and was examined by the Club's veterinary surgeon and cleared to start.

Fasdehere (J. Taylor) was slow to begin. Black Prince (M. Rodd) jumped away very awkwardly and lost ground.

Approaching and rounding the home turn, The Sixties (J. Holder) was held up when unable to improve.

Nearing the 100m, The Sixties (J. Holder) had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Honest Truth (S. Katsidis), which shifted in. Passing the 50m, Perugin Thought (S. Seamer) had to be steadied from the heels of Joint Chiefs (M. Cahill), which after being initially taken in by Forestreno (G. Colless), continued to shift in under pressure.

Forestreno (G. Colless) raced wide throughout.

Stewards sought an explanation from M. Cahill regarding the riding tactics he adopted on Joint Chiefs. M. Cahill explained that due to the fast tempo in the early and middle stages, Joint Chiefs was unable to take up a position and therefore settled at the rear of the field. M. Cahill added that he tested the horse shortly after entering the home straight and using the whip in a backhand manner the gelding finished the race off well.

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