EF JUNE 05 - MISS KEEPSAKE UPSTAGES THEM ALL

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Monday, June 7, 2010

Eagle Farm, June 05, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Queensland Oaks (Group 1 - 3yo Fillies - Set Weights) - 2400m.
Time: 2.29.45. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Miss Keepsake; 2 Marheta; 3 Danaupair Starlet.

Talk about flying under the radar.

Matamata based trainer Andrew Scott had enjoyed a successful enough campaign in the month leading up to the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday but, even at best, that success could only be described as modest.

Take the lightly raced Miss Keepsake for example. The Keeper filly made the trip across from New Zealand having a record of one win from three starts. That victory came on debut in decisive fashion over 1400m and the second and fourth placed finish which followed (over 1400m and 1600m respectively) were also sound enough runs, but nothing to write home about … but her trainer had seen enough to aim her at a winter campaign in Queensland.

Chris Munce had the ride on May 9 when Miss Keepsake scored a 0,75 length win in a Class 2 event over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast and he stayed on the filly when she won again over the same track and distance on May 23 beating the Mike Moroney trained Our Tigress by a long-head.

At the time, while those results were satisfactory enough for the stable, they seemed to have little bearing in the grand scheme of things … but by giving Miss Keepsake those two kills at the Sunshine Coast, Scott’s plan had allowed the earnings of the Miss Keepsake to creep up … not by a lot in monetary terms, but it was to end up being by a significant amount in terms of an opportunity that would open up to the filly.

Speaking to HRO after Miss Keepsake’s second successive win at the Sunshine Coast Scott put his short-term hopes for the filly in perspective.

“She’s done pretty well between runs,” Scott said. “She’s handling the trip well. She keeps going from strength to strength. We’ll just keep fingers crossed she can continue in the right direction.

“If we can make the Oaks field it will be all great, but she’s got to make it. She’s a long way down in stake money, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

At the time those words were spoken Femina Fashion topped the order of entry into the Oaks. The Trevor Whittington trained runner weighed in with earnings of $176200. Miss Keepsake languished down the order with a mere $19156.

When the final field for Queensland Oaks fell into place it became apparent just how important that second win at the Sunshine Cast was for Miss Keepsake. The Scott trained runner made the final field by the skin of her teeth, gaining the last place in the eighteen strong line-up.

Miss Keepsake beat out the first emergency acceptor, Our Tigress, by less than $2000. Miss Keepsake had beaten Our Tigress into second place in that second win at the Sunshine Coast and the difference in prize-money between first and second there was $4500.

Had that long-head decision in a driving finish gone the other way, Mike Moroney would have had two runners in the Oaks (he had Marheta in the field) … but that winning ride by Chris Munce aboard Miss Keepsake was now worth its weight in gold. Miss Keepsake was in the Oaks!

Not that anybody really noticed.

Moroney’s Marheta had won the Doomben Roses and that race was being touted as the best predictor of Oaks success. Seven of the last ten Oaks winners used the Roses to fine-tune their assault on the Oaks. Five of those seven winners were placed in the first four in the Roses … and so the weight of statistics and much of the focus of attention highlighted the chances of the likes of Marheta, Dariana, Femina Fashion and Spera. Miss Keepsake hardly warranted a mention.

There was plenty to justify that point of view. Femina Fashion had beaten Merheta in the Gold Coast Bracelet and Marheta had reversed that result in the Doomben Roses. The Bart Cummings trained Dariana flew home to finish third in the Roses which was viewed as a perfect Oaks trial. Spera was fourth in the Roses, finishing less than two lengths off the winner … and so on and so on.

The fact that there were many runners with better credentials than those of Miss Keepsake going into the race was not a point of debate. Hence Miss Keepsake rated very much the underdog, a fact that was reflected on the betting boards where she was marked up as a $31.00 chance.

Not that Miss Keepsake was rated the worse chance by any means. The betting went all the way out with the bottom third of the field marked up at $51.00, $61.00, $71.00, $91.00 and two runners on $101.00.

At the fancied end of the market Dariana topped the boards at $3.50. Marheta started at $5.00, Spera was at $6.00 and Fairy Oak was at $7.50 as only four runners were quoted at odds of less than $10.00.

There was a huge sensation at the start when the favourite Dariana turned her head into the adjacent barrier as the stalls gates opened and she was left standing in the barriers. She took no part in the race at all, but was declared a runner by the stewards after they had viewed the film and taken evidence from the relevant parties. (See Stewards Report Extract).

While the followers of the favourite lost the money in that moment, beyond that, the race went pretty much to script in the early part.

The obvious front-runner Femina Fashion was allowed to cross her field from her outside draw and she led the field out of the first turn ahead of C’Mon Cuba who pressed forward to push Danaupair Starlet back to third. Marheta, the best backed runner still in the race after Dariana’s untimely departure, settled in a prominent fourth place. Spera was in fifth spot, holding the rail position. Miss Keepsake was also saving ground (and energy) at this stage. The filly was back in eleventh spot, on the rail, some nine lengths off the frontrunner.

Femina Fashion continued to dictate the speed down the back straight. There was a slight reshuffling of position behind her during this time … C’mon Cuba was still second; Spera was up to third, Danaupair Starlet was fourth, Status Quo was fifth (held three wide) while Caiseal edged out Marheta for sixth spot … but all of these runners remained close enough to the action to have every chance as the field approached the home turn.

The field, in fact, had closed up appreciably. Miss Keepsake still had only four horses behind her, but she was travelling well some seven lengths off the action … so much so that jockey Chris Munce had to take hold of his mount and semi-check her as she threatened to run onto the heels of the runner in front of her.

Jockey Mark Zahra was the first to make his move. He pushed Marheta forward four wide around C’mon Cuba and Status Quo and by the time the field straightened for home the Mike Moroney trained filly had rushed into second place behind Femina Fashion, who was hugging the rail holding on to a narrow advantage.

Behind that, Spera tried to get off the rail and bumped into the tiring C’mon Cuba while Status Quo, to their outside, was also under pressure. She had been held wide throughout the running and now lacked the legs to go on with it. Danaupair Starlet, who had momentarily lost her position in the sweep to the turn, found galloping room in the space left by Marheta’s forward move and she started to improve her position.

Up front, Marheta was now in full cry and she took the measure of Femina Fashion with 260m left to run. Spera was third in behind that. Her fighting spirit carried her forward but she was now running on empty and the greater threats to Marheta now came from behind. At the 200m mark Marheta looked to be on her way to establishing a winning break on her rivals, but three other runners showed an appetite for the challenge.

Danaupair Starlet had found her feet. She chased past Spera and Femina Fashion and stayed on the heels of Marheta, but the effort required to reel in the leader proved beyond her. In the end she had to settle for a gallant third placing. Absolute Joy, who had cornered in last place and who made her challenge as the widest runner on the track, showed good acceleration and the rate at which she made ground halfway up the straight suggested she could threaten the result, but she had been given too much to do. Her run peaked. Her challenge did not materialise. She would finish fourth.

The third runner with a taste for a fight was Miss Keepsake. The filly surged forward on straightening, saving ground up the inside. The path she followed and the speed at which she made up ground early in the straight thrust her right into contention.

By the 200m mark Miss Keepsake was up to fifth place and her run was still building momentum. In a flash of yellow silks, Munce angled his mount out without breaking stride so that Miss Keepsake could have an uninterrupted run to the line.

By the 100m Miss Keepsake had gunned down Spera and Femina Fashion and was up to third, now just two lengths off Marheta. Danaupair Starlet was the next to fall to Miss Keepsake’s strong finishing effort and that left Marheta as the sole obstacle between Miss Keepsake and Group 1 glory.

With Miss Keepsake eating up the ground, the question was whether the post would arrive in time to save Marheta and hand trainer Mike Moroney another Oaks triumph.

It didn’t. This one belonged to trainer Andrew Scott, jockey Chris Munce and a previously unheralded horse called Miss Keepsake, who flying finish proved to be inch perfect as she collared Marheta in the last stride to claim a well-earned victory.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Andrew Scott: “I’ve been involved with the training of eleven Group 1 winners before today, working with Mike Moroney and Lance O’Sullivan, but this is the first one on my own … the first Group 1 winner in my own right.

“We’ve got a very hard working team back home … all the O’Sullivan family and Robbie Hewitson, so they’ll be over the moon too.

“It was good stuff from Chris Munce. What a hero.

“Yeah, I beat my old boss (Moroney). There’s always a pretty fierce rivalry between us when we go around. He taught me a lot. Between the O’Sullivans and the Moroneys … they taught me my trade.

“We thought we were a winning chance today. She worked up huge during the week and I just knew she was bred to stay. I came over here on Monday and I just trained the ears off it to get her fit enough to run the trip.

“We knew we had to make up a bit of ground because she was stepping up from 1800m to 2400 so, like I said, we just got her as fit as we could and as it turned out she just outstayed them.

“It was good enough when I left home. We only had one race against Spera at home and she gave Spera a cold, so we knew she was up to them. It was just a matter of getting her over here in one piece and getting enough stake money to get into the race.

“It’s been a fantastic day today. We had a winner earlier (Pennacchio) and we got a second back home so it’s been a really great day.

“Hopefully we’ll take her through … hopefully get her to the Derby next week. I think she’ll only improve with the run today. I think we’ll head off to the Derby. We know one thing … she stays and eighty-five percent of the three-year-olds at this distance don’t really stay.

“Chris (Munce) has had a lot of success with the stable in the past. He’d already won an Oaks for the stable … with Paul O’Sullivan with Vouvray (in 2004) and, you know, Paul knew him very well in Hong Kong, so he’s got a real bond with the stable.

“We had a bit of a talk to Chris before we came over. We asked him if he would ride all of the horses … if he could … and he’s stayed as loyal as he can.”

Jockey Chris Munce: “I didn’t have any doubts about the trip. I believed that she would run the mile-and-a-half out.

“If I had a query, I wasn’t sure if she had the strength to win an Oaks. She is not a very big filly, but I tell you what, what she lacks in size she makes up for in heart and she is just a real little beauty she is.

“We always planned to ride her a bit negative out of the gates simply because she was drawn a little bit awkward. When she raced up at Coloundra she’d been up on the speed, but that was in a lot lesser race. I sort of knew that she was better than them up there and I just wanted to win with her and give her a bit of confidence.

“Today I just rode her back a bit. She was cluttered up a long way and didn’t have a lot of galloping room, but when the runs came she went pretty quick. She’s just got a lightning turn of speed. It helps her at the end of a mile-and-a-half.

“Look, in the race itself, I didn’t think I was a winning chance until I probably got out about the 100m mark. Up until then I’d been sort of cluttered up with nowhere to go with a lot of horses in front of me.

“I knew she’d have an explosive sprint on her because she has shown that before, but up until that point I sort of had nowhere to go and was looking like being unlucky. She’s very tough … very solid … and she did everything right.

“It’s a great thrill. It’s a thrill for me simply because I’ve been able to win for some very good people … Andrew Scott, Robbie Hewitson, Lance O’Sullivan … of course his brother Paul … who I’ve got nothing but admiration and respect for. They are four of the finest horseman I will ever meet and their knowledge you can’t learn.

“I’m just so thrilled that I am able to win and repay their full help they’ve given to me over the years … and win a race like this for them. It’s a second Oaks for Paul and Lance. It’s just fantastic.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Miss Keepsake): 26.00 out to 31.00.
Favourite (Dariana): 3.20 in to 2.60 out to 2.80. Failed to jump at start.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer C. Waller was fined $200 under LR. 70 for failing to declare J. Cassidy as the rider of Al Nakhla by the prescribed time.

Connections advised that Fairy Oak will be ridden more positively if circumstances permit.

The declaration of correct weight was delayed as the stewards were concerned that Dariana (S. Arnold), which remained in the stalls after the start, may have been denied a fair start.

Before forming an opinion in relation to this matter, evidence was taken from Mr W. Shuck, the head starter, also from rider S. Arnold and Mr Reg Fleming, stable representative for trainer B. Cummings.

Subsequent to this, the stewards were of the view that when the gates opened Dariana, although slightly sideways on, had the opportunity to jump but turned its head to the left-hand side and was then caught behind the partition on the outside of its starting gate and as a consequence could not come out. Therefore it was decided that the provisions of AR. 134A not be enforced and Dariana was officially declared to be a runner and correct weight was then declared on the numbers as provided by the Judge.

On jumping Ambitious Princess (D. Oliver) was checked when crowded for room between Bitasilk (J. Taylor) and Caiseal (D. Nikolic), both of which shifted ground abruptly.

AL Nakhla (J. Cassidy) was tightened for room on jumping away between Cassini Contest (H. Bowman), which shifted out, and Fairy Oak (L. Nolen), which was taken in by C'mon Cuba (L. Nolen).

Near the 1900m Status Quo (K. McEvoy) shifted in tightening the running of Caiseal and Bitasilk.
Approaching the 1800m Utopia (J. Byrne) had to be steadied off the heels of Marheta (M. Zahra), which was taken in by Danaupair Starlet (M. Cahill).

Status Quo, Marheta, Cassini Contest and AL Nakhla raced wide throughout.

Approaching the 400m Spera (D. Browne) shifted out and made contact with C'mon Cuba, which in turn shifted out and bumped Status Quo.

M. Cahill, the rider of Danaupair Starlet, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under AR. 137(a) in that near the 400m he allowed his mount to shift out when not sufficiently clear of Fairy Oak (L. Nolen), resulting in Fairy Oak having to be checked to avoid the heels of Danaupair Starlet.

M. Cahill's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 meetings, with the term of suspension to commence following the expiration of an existing term of suspension, and expire at midnight on Wednesday, 30 June 2010.

Near the 200m Bitasilk had to be steadied when tightened for room between Status Quo, which shifted out, and C’mon Cuba, which shifted in under pressure.

J. Cassidy, the rider of Al Nakhla, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding under AR. 137(a) in that near the 200m he permitted his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Cassini Contest (H. Bowman), resulting in that horse being tightened for room between Al Nakhla and Ambitious Princess, losing its rightful running and having to be steadied.

J. Cassidy's licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 7 meetings, with the term of suspension to commence at midnight on Saturday, 12 June, and expire at midnight on Wednesday, 23 June 2010.

An inquiry was adjourned into the reason for Ambitious Princess and Al Nakhla being tightened for room leaving the 200m.

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