EF JUNE 12 - DARIANA CRUISES HOME IN THE DERBY

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Eagle Farm, June 12, 2010.
Queensland Derby (Group 1) - 2400m.
Time: 2-26.49. (Carrying 54kg).
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 3m.
1 Dariana; 2 Kutchinsky; 3 Miss Keepsake.

All’s well that end’s well and for the connections and the punters who followed the fortunes of the Bart Cummings trained Dariana during her Winter Carnival campaign the happy ending arrived at the third time of asking when the daughter of Redoute’s Choice scored a no-nonsense victory in the Group 1 Queensland Derby contested over 2400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Dariana had started as equal favourite when she fired her first salvo during her Queensland campaign in the Doomben Roses over 2020m on May 22. The HRO report of that race states, ‘Chasing from six lengths back at the top of the straight, Dariana’s initial progress was restricted when she became involved in a bumping duel with Pinpoint Accuracy. That incident was of her own making and earned Michael Rodd a suspension (see Stewards Report). Once she moved beyond that, Dariana let down like the above average filly she is, but it was all a case of too little too late in a race where things never went her way at any stage and she had to settle a minor share of the prize-money.’

If things never went Dariana’s way at any stage of that race, her effort was even more jinxed in her next (scheduled) start in the Group 1, Queensland Oaks over 2400m at Eagle Farm on June 5.

In the same instant that the stall gates opened for the start of the Oaks, Dariana (with Steven Arnold up) turned her head sideways into the adjacent barrier and she got caught in that position. She couldn’t jump with the rest of the field and, in the end, didn’t get away at all, taking no part in the race. Significantly though, after an investigation into the incident by the stewards, Dariana was declared a runner. That made it ‘strike two’ for the followers of the filly.

Now possibly short of a run, Dariana worked well during the week leading up to the Queensland Derby during which time she also had to pass a barrier test, which she did with no trouble at all. As well as Dariana was in the build-up, the Derby did represent a different test of strength to the Roses and the Oaks. In those races Dariana lined up to race against her own sex whereas fourteen of the eighteen runners who faced the starter in the Derby were colts or geldings.

The Tony Noonan trained Kutchinsky, who was bidding for a hat-trick of wins and who was coming into the race off the back of a stirring victory in the Grand Prix, was installed as a clear-cut favourite at $3.30. Dariana started as the second favourite at $5.00.

While these two horses at the top of the bookmakers’ boards ultimately were the first two runners across the line, the finishing order was reversed. In fact, some would say there were ‘no seconds’ as Dariana lined her field with contemptuous ease, turning the race into a procession in the closing stages allowing jockey Michael Rodd to sit up and celebrate long before the line.

A second glance at the barriers after the runners had left the stalls showed all was well with Dariana this time around. Rodd gave her an easy time early, not forcing her to work at all from her number one draw as she settled comfortably on the rail, racing just worse than midfield, while Sir Time Keeper went up to set the early target at the head of affairs. Blueys Way, Sanderson and Marheta took a comfortable trail behind the leader while the favourite Kutchinsky loped along towards the rear of the field.

Sir Time Keeper gradually increased the tempo down the back straight as he set about stretching the field out. He then stepped it up another gear as he entered the start of the sweep to the home turn so that, with 900m left to run, the leader had established a lead of just under four lengths with the balance of the field now well and truly strung out behind that.

That move brought an anxious response from some of those racing behind. The need to chase early led to a fairly congested midfield and several runners looked to improve their positions.

The traffic problems, for some, were further complicated when Blueys Way weakened badly and dropped back sharply from second spot in the middle of the bend. Chris Munce, riding the Oaks winner Miss Keepsake, had to take hold of his mount and angle past the fast tiring Blueys Way. Dariana was racing to Miss Keepsake’s outside at that stage with Rodd getting her off the rail to avoid any scrimmaging. The favourite Kutchinsky was on the move out wide where he was improving his position quickly having avoided the congestion taking place on his inside. But all were still chasing Sir Time Keeper.

The frontrunner turned for home with a healthy three length advantage over the hard-chasing Marheta. Sanderson, The Hombre and Racing Heart were next best. Kutchinsky cornered in sixth place, racing six wide some seven lengths off the lead. Miss Keepsake had recovered to be seventh saving ground along the inside rail while Dariana was eighth, racing four wide with a little over eight lengths to make up. At that stage there were still plenty of runners with winning chances.

The complexion of the race changed dramatically in the first half of the home straight. While Sir Time Keeper kept up his charge, kicking on well in a valiant attempt to steal the honours, Rodd set Dariana to work and the filly’s response was electric. Of all the chasers, she alone found the acceleration required to stamp her authority on proceedings and she did that with telling power.

Such was Dariana’s commitment to the task that she moved from eighth place into second position in as little as 150m (from the 400m t the 250m marks), making up no less than six lengths of the deficit on the leader during that time. Given the momentum she had established, getting to the ever-game Sit Time Keeper was now just a formality for Dariana who duly stormed into the lead with 180m left to run. From that moment it was ‘race over’.

For the second time in as many weeks punters who bet on Dariana could turn away from the race long before the winner crossed the line. The only difference was that this time they were leaving with the money.

Dariana eventually won by a huge 4.50 length margin in spite of taking it easy over the final 50m. Kutchinsky was honest enough all the way down the straight and his chase was rewarded with the second place just a long-head ahead of Miss Keepsake.

The latter did have some claims to suggest she could have finished second after she was held up for a second time (the first time being the incident approaching the home turn) when unable to free herself from a pocket on the rail for a good 100m in the straight.

Having said that, the New Zealand bred Miss Keepsake did win the Oaks after Dariana had got stuck in the stalls. Sometimes the luck is with you. Sometimes it conspires against you.

Three other New Zealand bred horses, Keyora, Brightnight and Sir Time Keeper rounded out the top six finishers.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Reg Fleming (Foreman for the Bart Cummings stable): “What happened last week (in The Oaks) … that’s in the past. She’s never had a problem in the barriers. She just got a bit fractious.

“The other day was just a freak accident. She got her head stuck over the rail. It was just one of those things … just another way to do your money. So just forget about that and just get on with it. We just got on with it today and so far so good.

“Winning any Group 1 makes up for a lot of things. It’s very pleasing to see that and that gives us our seventh Group 1 for the year so we’re one in front of my old mate Moods (Peter Moody) so we hope we stay there.

“Good on you Bart. He’s at Princess Farm. He’s good. He’s recuperating just taking it easy.

“I am a bit surprised with the way she won. I thought she had a good hope, but to win like that, well that surprised me. Nothing really worries her. She goes through her paces everyday all week. Whatever you want to do with her she just goes home and eats. Very tough horse.

Jockey Michael Rodd: “It was good you know. She was able to take up position today. She’s got a very good turn of foot. She stays. I just wasn’t sure because normally you would have a run every fortnight, but she hasn’t had a run for a month so I just wasn’t sure how she was going to be at the end of the race. With Bart’s (runners) you know they are going to be hard fit and she has that turn of foot to get you out of trouble.

“I couldn’t really see how far they were ahead early on. I know there was just a nice tempo. My filly was happy and that’s the main thing, you know. You just have to slowly pick them off. It is a long way up the straight.

“The race changed complexion probably at about the 700. The ones that can’t stay and didn’t have the quality they just went by the wayside … and you saw them. They just spread-eagled and I was just in the right spot to just pick them off one by one.

“I was getting all the nice runs through. I said it before. She would have been competitive in the VRC Oaks this filly, so I was very confident coming into today. I just had to keep in mind that she hadn’t had a run in quite a while and she’s a very big filly.

“You know, they have done a great job with her. I’m just lucky she got out of the gates today and I was steering her around.

“It is very hard to compare her to Faint Perfume. This is a dour stayer that will keep finding the line. Faint Perfume is a lot more brilliant. They are both good staying fillies.

“It is incredible the way things work out. I was out suspended last week. I was at home in the lounge watching the Oaks (when Dariana got caught in the barriers). I’m very close with Steven Arnold. I count him as a good friend. I felt for him. I really did, because obviously it’s not the way you want things to happen, especially on a favourite, but things played into my hands today. I’m very fortunate.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Dariana): 5.50 in to 5.00.
Favourite (Kutchinsky): 3.20 out to 3.30. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Sanderson (J. Holder) left the gates awkwardly. On jumping away, Rocket To Rio (C. Williams) was crowded for room between Brightnight (B. Shinn) and Keyora (H. Bowman), which was taken in by Let Them Have It (C. Brown). The occurrence was accidental.

In the early stages, Cabeza (N. Rawiller) proved difficult to settle and threw its head about and shifted a lot of ground. Trainer D. O'Brien will be interviewed at a later date.

M. Zahra, rider of Marheta, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that he permitted his mount to shift in near a point passing the winning post on the first occasion when insufficiently clear of Let Them Have It (C. Brown), resulting in Let Them Have It having to be checked to avoid the heels of Marheta.

In this incident The Hombre (J Riddell) which was racing to the inside of Let Them Have It shifted in despite the efforts of its rider after being momentarily crowded resulting in Racing Heart (S Scriven) having to be checked and Miss Keepsake (NZ) being tightened for room.

M. Zahra was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 8 meetings, to commence at midnight, 20 June and to expire at midnight, 3 July.

Near the 400m, Blues Way (T. Angland), which was compounding, shifted in and brushed the running rail. As a result of this, inconvenience was caused to Miss Keepsake (C. Munce).

L. Nolan, rider of Arvan, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, in that passing the winning post on the first occasion he allowed his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of Brightnight (B. Shinn), which commenced to over-race to the inside of Arvan which resulted in B. Shinn, rider of Brightnight, having to unnecessarily restrain his mount away from the heels of Arvan and shift in, tightening the running of Fieldmaster.

L. Nolan was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 6 meetings, to commence at midnight, 16 June and to expire at midnight, 29 June.

Throughout the race, Sir Time Keeper (D. Walsh) had a tendency to lay out. For most of the race, Arvan (L. Nolen) was obliged to race three wide without any cover.

A post race veterinary examination of Blueys Way failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

A post race veterinary examination of Cabeza revealed the horse had coughed after its race and recommended the horse be scoped. Trainer D. O'Brien will be advised of the report.

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