EF JUNE 05 - PRESSDAY AGAIN A HEADLINE ACT

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Eagle Farm, June 5, 2010.
Sires Produce Stakes (Group 2 - 2yo - Set Weights) - 1400m.
Time: 1-23.48. (Carrying 56kg).
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
1 Pressday; 2 Jesse's Girl; Levi's Choice.

The Winter Carnival just keeps getting better and better for the Chris Waller stable who landed a double on Oaks day at Eagle Farm.

While the battle-hardened warrior Triple Honour landed the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup in the sixth race on the card to claim a particularly satisfying victory, the performance of Pressday, the rising star of the stable, earlier in the day was every bit as exciting as it was laced with the promise of future success.

Pressday was having only his fifth career start when claiming victory in the Sires Produce Stakes. It was his second successive Group 2 win, coming on the back of the Champagne Classic and it pushed his earnings to close to $300 000.

Speaking to HRO after his previous success, Waller stated, "He’ll go to the Sires Produce and then hopefully on to the T.J. The Sires should be ideal. A few of the jockeys have said the 1400 would really suit him.”

Suit him it did. In fact, Pressday clearly relished the trip as he dispatched some lively opposition with the minimum of fuss to win by a comfortable one length margin.

Pressday's potential was well recognised by both bookmakers and punters alike and he started a clear favourite at $2.70.

Adebisi chased hard out of the starting stalls along with Chosen To Fly and these two runners set a strong pace up front. They were tracked by Jesse's Girl who was also strong early. She settled in third spot racing inside and just ahead of Pressday. Jockey Jim Cassidy followed Jesse's Girl across from a wide draw and he now had the colt in a prime position racing comfortably just off the speed.

Chosen To Fly led Adebisi by a head in the sweep to the turn, but the leaders were side by side on straightening with Adebisi about to go past his rival. Pressday was close-up behind that, racing three wide and perfectly poised to strike. Perhaps as importantly, Cassidy was unfolding a great tactical ride. By holding is line on Pressday he was keeping Jesse's Girl in a pocket inside him, trapping his rival behind the heels of Adebisi and Chosen To Fly while ensuring himself clear running on Pressday.

As Adebisi pushed forward early in the straight and Chosen To Fly cried enough, Cassidy gave Pressday just that little bit more rein and the colt started to quicken on cue. By the 250m mark Pressday was laying down the challenge to Adebisi, who was still game for a fight.

Racing in a tight gap inbetween Pressday and Adebisi, Jesse's Girl was refusing to go away in spite of racing in restricted galloping room. The chestnut half leaned on Pressday, her head turned towards her rival while jockey Blake Shinn tried his utmost to force Jesse's Girl into daylight, but Cassidy steadfastly refused to flinch on the favourite. He continued to hold his line on Pressday leaving Jesse's Girl, who certainly looked to be travelling well enough to pose a serious threat, struggling for room on is inside.

When Jesse's Girl eventually did find the room to stretch out inside the final 150m Cassidy, who had been keeping something in reserve, simply asked Pressday to move up a gear. Again the colt obliged and edged clear to claim a win which was achieved in arguably a more comfortable fashion than the official winning margin suggests.

Pressday did shift in over the concluding stages (which caused some consternation behind him - see Stewards Report Extract) but he did have his race won by the time that movement occurred.

Jesse's Girl's perseverance was rewarded with a sound second placing, although she did have to survive an objection lodged by the trainer of the fifth place Adebisi on the grounds of alleged interference over the final 100m, before keeping that position.

Adebisi had been shuffled back to fifth place in the final few strides by the fast finishing duo of Levi's Choice and Smokin' Joey, who arrived with a late rattle to claim third and fourth place respcetively.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Chris Waller: “It was a great ride and probably Jimmy (Cassidy) at his best from a tough barrier.

"Got him into a good position. He can over-race a touch as he probably did slightly, but he can be a lot worse than that, so he did get him to switch off fairly well. Sat quietly turning for home and kept the second or third place-getter in a tight pocket, holding our line of course, so I think that was the winning of the race. He was then able to get clear and win with a bit of dominance.

“I hope he has another one in him. Next preparation he will, but obviously we are going to go one more next Saturday. It is hard because he's have come off a Golden Slipper preparation. There was a short build-up to his first-up run and I thought, well he has run through his skin last start, maybe he is a bit flat today, but he obviously showed he is not so if we can nurse him through to next Saturday we've got a great chance.

“It won’t be easy stepping up to a mile. Two-year-olds are fairly adaptable. They are still learning. Obviously takes the edge out of them and that helps horses relax as well. A nice barrier draw would help. Last two runs he hasn’t had good draws. Good jockeys overcome that and hopefully the same next week.

“I was definitely worried about him getting hot in the yard, but he is still winning and I think he is still maturing. That’s why he is doing it. There’s a bit of pressure on him and horses under pressure do those types of things.

"No horse gets more confidence other than winning, other than that, hitting the line strongly. Winners learn and good horses learn pretty quick too so I think there will be others worried about getting the mile and things like that more than we will."

Jockey Jim Cassidy: “Yeah look, it was a good effort. It was a little bit hot here in the yard even though it is a warm day but he got across, got a nice spot and relaxed enough and was too good.

“Coming to the turn, there really wasn’t much of a run there (for Jesse’s Girl). That thing was trying to get up inside me so I just held my line. I was just holding my line ... and they slowed up, they didn’t go that quick. Coming up to the 600 I was getting up behind the leader and I thought well, 'I don’t want to be crawling all over his back’ so I just popped to his outside and he relaxed nice and tracked into it and let down good.

“He was strong. I cuddled him for as long as I could and really didn’t really ask for an effort until the last 30m and he was able to get away so it was a good effort."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Pressday): 2.30 out to 2.90 in to 2.70.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
On return to scale, S. Seamer, the rider of Adebisi, placed 5th past the post by the Judge, exercised his right to view the stewards' footage with trainer D. Forster to determine whether he had grounds to lodge a protest against the winner Pressday (J. Cassidy) and/or 2nd placegetter Jesse's Girl (B. Shinn).

After viewing the video, trainer D. Forster lodged an objection against Jess's Girl being declared 2nd, alleging interference inside the final 100m. After taking evidence from all parties concerned and viewing the video, stewards found that Adebisi was crowded for room by Jesse's Girl but did further establish that at this time Pressday was shifting in and contributing to the tightening which was taking place.

The stewards could not be satisfied that the interference suffered by Adebisi could be wholly attributed to Jesse's Girl, nor could they be satisfied that the result of the race was affected in any way and accordingly the protest was dismissed and correct weight was declared on the Judge's placings of: 2, 11, 8, 6, 1.

In the early stages Fashion (D. Nikolic) raced ungenerously and several times threw its head about when placed to the heels of Smokin' Joey (D. Dunn) and shifted out.

Shadows In the Sun (D. Oliver) was obliged to race wide and without cover throughout.

Just after straightening Jesse's Girl shifted out in an endeavour to improve between Pressday and Adebisi. At this time Adebisi itself shifted out slightly.

After the 200m when being ridden out, Jesse's Girl was inclined to get in away from Pressday and raced tight on the outside of Asdebisi, however over about the last 50m both Adebisi and Jesse's Girl were unnecessarily crowded by Pressday (J. Cassidy) which shifted in whilst being ridden out. In all the circumstances of this incident, the stewards could not be satisfied to the required standard that J. Cassidy had a charge of careless riding to answer and accordingly a charge was not preferred, however he was severely reprimanded under AR. 137(a) and told that he must exercise more care than this in future.

A post-race veterinary examination of From London revealed no abnormalities

More articles