BAREENA SHOWS HER TRUE COLOURS

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Phil Sullivan Handicap (Listed) - 1600m. Time: 1-38.93.
Track - Heavy 8. Rail - out 4m.
1 Bareena; 2 Go Cart; 3 Our Lukas

The five-year-old mare Bareena has played mind-games with connections and punters alike for some period of time. Highly capable on her day, Bareena has been a difficult horse to catch in a galloping mood ... the temptation to leave her out of calculations being vetoed by the knowledge that she is always good enough to upstage the best of them if things go her way in the running.

Those who sided with her at Eagle Farm on Saturday got their reward as the Bryan Guy trained runner got the job done under a confident ride from Jim Byrne to land the eighth win of her career and a Black Type success in the Listed Phil Sullivan Handicap.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Bryan Guy: “We scratched her last week because she drew the 22 barrier in a Listed race. We scratched her and we waited for this and she drew the four alley today. Jimmy (Byrne) got her back and got her travelling. As you know, being up here with Bareena, that she can do these sort of things ... like she’s only got beaten a head by Black Piranha at the Sunshine Coast and he’s the favourite for the Stradbroke today, so she can do these sort of finishes ... and she has always handled the wet.

“Ah, you know, she gets back and she has been very unlucky in a lot of races. You’ve seen here. I think she finds a lot of trouble herself. Like I said before, she is very capable and she just needed to find that little bit of form, as in that run to Black Piranha, to be too good for them. Today she just put everything together, which was great. It was really good.

“We’ll give her another season. We’ll keep going with her. She’s a great little mare. She’s worth a lot. We’ll keep her as a broodmare. Jimmy (Forsyth) will breed with her. He bred her, Jimmy Forsyth, and he’s been in the place for 40 years so it’s great to get a win for him. I might have a look at the Glasshouse with her. I might wait and go to the Glasshouse ... 1400m, big track ... she loves the track, so we might as well have a crack at that.

“It’s been quite a day. I had a two-year-old (Declamation) have its first start at the (Gold) Coast today. It was injured. They had to destroy it. I had a runner in the third race at the Coast (Dane’s Kid). It won. I’ve had a runner here and it’s one. So the luck changed around.”

Jockey Jim Byrne: “You know what, it’s always on the big days that she always excels. You know, she got beat at Coloundra the other day and it was a very similar sort of track as what we are facing here today, but she’s back for the big occasion.

“Up to the mile ... she is the sort of horse who doesn’t like to be bustled too much early. She often draws a little bit of an awkward draw. What ends up happening there is, you know, you kinda squeeze her a little bit too much to try and get a position on her. She just likes to get to the outside. Once she gets to the outside she really accelerates nicely. Like today, she really let down nice.

The track is a true heavy today and you’re basically panning for gold out there trying to find the best part of the track ... but, today, she got through it pretty good.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Bareena): 11.00 out to 12.00.
Favourite (Our Lukas): 4.20 in to 3.80. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
L. Cassidy (Our Lukas) explained that he enjoyed a nice run in the race but just after straightening was disappointed for a run between Soiled, which shifted in, and Rags To Riches, which shifted out. Because of this he had to steady and then wait for a run on the outside before going forward. He said that in his opinion Our Lukas is now looking for more ground.

C. Williams (Soiled) explained that he intended to ride the horse a little more quietly today than he did in its last run, however when settling Soiled it was inclined to get its head up and hang out. He went on to say that if he were to ride the horse again, he would probably be more aggressive on it.