SCST JULY 03 - IRONSTEIN WINS THE CUP

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 5, 2010

Sunshine Coast, Saturday July 3, 2010.
Coloundra Cup (Listed - Quality) - 2400m.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - True.
Time 2-30.67. (Carrying 53kg).
1 Ironstein; 2 Tinseltown; 3 Teary Eyed.

The smile on the face of trainer Gerald Ryan has been getting broader and broader the longer the carnival has gone on and he derived particular satisfaction from the win of the Zabeel gelding Ironstein in the Coloundra Cup over 2400m at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

It might only have been a Listed race. Therefore, in the grand scheme of things, fell quite a way below the achievements of Ryan's Group 1 winning stable star Melito and his Queenland Guineas winner Rothesay, but, given the fact that Ironstein had previously been labeled as 'the slowest horse ever to walk out of Strawberry Hill' by no less a judge than part-owner John Singleton, who has seen a few things in his time, the win did represent something of an achievement in its own right on the part of the trainer.

In his first preparation, for trainer Brian Jenkins in Melbourne, Ironstein tested the patience of all associated with him.

His first prep consisted of fours run for no wins during which time he was defeated by a combined total of thirty-five lengths, or an average of 8.75 lengths per race.

It looked as if the Ironstein might need more than just time to develop into a racehorse.

The decision to geld Ironstein and to allow him a full nine months in the paddock was just part of a patient strategy.

Add in a change of location (from Melbourne to Sydney), a new trainer in the form of Gerald Ryan and a number of gear changes (blinkers off, cross over nose-band off, norton bit on), on his return... and that provided a five-point plan designed to try to turnaround Ironstein's fortunes ...and the plan did just that!

Ironstein won his Maiden first-up at Canterbury over 1550m and then continued to make up for lost time with a second successive victory, this time in Class 2 event over 1600m at Kembla Grange.

Ironstein raced a further three times in his second prep without adding another win, but it was the run at the end of that prep, when he finished third behind Carnegies Cruzin over 1900m at Rosehill (with the blinkers back on) that got Ryan thinking that the Coloundra Cup contest might be to Ironstein's liking and he decided then to put the Ironstein out for a break and to set the horse for the Coloundra Cup feature.

Ironstein resumed on May 1. He took two runs to build up to a suitable distance and then he struck in is third run back when scoring in comfortable fashion in heavy going over 1900m at Rosehill on June 5.

As he had done earlier in his career Ironstein then put together back-to-back wins when winning again at Rosehill two weeks later, this time over 2000m.

Another two week break brought him to his Coloundra Cup challenge which he took in his stride to complete a hat-trick of wins.

The four-year-old has now won three-in-a-row and this latest victory lifted his race record to five wins from fourteen starts for stake earnings of a touch over $250 000.

In the Coloundra Cup jockey Michael Cahill allowed Ironstein (who jumped from the number one draw) to settle in fifth then sixth spot along the rail in the early part as Solid Billing went out with meaning at the head of affairs.

Solid Billing tore away from his field and he had a full six length advantage over Our Lukas, who raced alone in second place, as he took the field down the back straight.

The Grogoch and Sand Hawk kept each other company in third and fourth place a further three lengths behind Our Lukas and it was another two lengths back (or eleven to twelve lengths off the leader) to Teary Eyed and Ironstein who were best of the rest in a well strung out field.

These top six runners held their positions until the 600m. With Solid Billing aeemingly coming back to his field (he was now only three lengths clear at that stage) his rivals started to make their moves behind him as the field approached the home turn.

Solid Billing, hugging the rail, still held the lead on straightening and he was fighting on gamely. Out Lukas had eased three wide and the Ipswich Cup winner looked to be in perfect position to launch his claim, but his challenge evaporated in the blink of an eye as Teary Eyed, who had dashed quickest on the turn, sped past him and went after the long-time leader.

Cahill, on Ironstein, was quick to cover the move of Teary Eyed and the Gerald Ryan trained runner quickly moved into contention.

By the 200m both Teary Eyed and Ironstein had got to Solid Billing and 20m later Ironstein had taken the measure of Teary Eyed and he shot to the lead looking every inch the winner.

Only one runner had the legs to challenge Ironstein over the final 150m.

The favourite Tinseltown had been held wide for most of the trip but he was still up for a fight when he cornered eight wide some three to four lengths behind Ironstein at the top of the straight.

As Damien Oliver and the main fancy warmed to their task, Tinseltown gradually began to build momentum. By the 200m mark he was in full cry, still three lengths back, but doing enough to keep Ironstein honest all the way to the line.

Ironstein, for his part, was more than holding his own as he powered his way home, although his tendency to hang in once he had gained the ascendancy did allow Tinseltown to close up reasonably quickly over the concluding stages to only be beaten a neck at the post.

Teary Eyed finished third, 1,75 lengths behind Tinseltown.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Gerald Ryan: "When he came up from Melbourne, you know, he had no form. He came me. He had a bad reputation. We just went to Evergreen Farm and Craig Roberts of Evergreen just took all the gear off him and went back to scratch.

"I said to Duncan Grimley down in Canterbury ... he is John Singleton's manager ... I said I reckon he would win. Duncan told Singo and Singo said, how can you back that bloody thing ... it is the slowest horse ever to walk out of Strawberry Hill (Stud).

"So, he has come a long way, you know.

"Jimmy Cassidy rode him in January (into third place over 1900m) and he put half a wrap on him. It was then that we set him for this race.

"In his next run (after a four month spell) he went to Hawksbury on that bad track there and he couldn't win ... it was over 1300. Then he went terrific second-up (finishing second over 1550m), which I didn't think he could do, and since then he has just gone on his merry way. He has won three-in-row now."

Jockey Michael Cahill: "He is a staying-bred horse and they always take a little bit of time to hit their straps and mature.

"He is in the hands of a superb trainer. He doesn't rush his horses. It has taken him a long time getting there, but he is reaping the benefits now.

"I had a good run from the good barrier. They went fast which suited me. I had a couple of anxious moments when I had to extricate him away from the rail into clear space. I lost a bit of momentum while I had to wait to get into the clear, but it didn't make any difference. The horse did the rest.

"He is a promising young stayer.He went when I asked him to go. When he got to the front he wanted to look about a bit. I was lucky. I watched his last run on video. He did that in that run as well so I was half prepared for it.

"He is a bit immature ... still. He did get to the front and wanted to look around. Then, when he had the race within his keeping, he wanted to run around a bit in the run to the line. He wanted to run inwards, but he was too good. The margin of a neck probably flattered the second horse."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Ironstein): 5.00 steady.
Favourite (Tinseltown): 4.80 in to 4.40. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Prix Du Sang (D. Nikolic) was slow to begin.

Approaching the winning post on the first occasion, after initially being tightened for room by Sand Hawk (S. Spratt), Slepner (B. El-Issa) shifted in when not fully clear of Court Ruler (L. Cassidy), which had to be eased and was taken in resulting in both Fulmonti (R. McMahon) and Under The Counter (M. Hellyer) being tightened for room.

B. El-Issa, the rider of Slepner, was issued with a reprimand under AR. 137(a) and advised to provide sufficient clearance to his fellow riders in the future.

Lang (S. Seamer), Tinseltown (D. Oliver) and Yield Curve (J. Holder) all raced wide throughout.

Near the 900m Tinseltown commenced to over-race and had to be steadied to avoid the heels of Lang. Yield Curve, which was following, had to be checked in consequence.

Ironstein (M. Cahill) shifted in abruptly under pressure over the concluding stages.

When questioned regarding the performance of Our Lukas, S. Katsidis explained that the gelding traveled strongly throughout but failed to quicken when placed under pressure from the 600m.

S. Katsidis added that in his view Our Lukas is better suited on firm tracks and performs best over shorter distances than today's 2400m.

A post-race veterinary examination revealed Our Lukas (S. Katsidis) to be suffering from the thumps.

A post-race veterinary examination of Warrior Within (M. Walker) revealed that gelding to have a laceration to its off-hind leg.

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