MV JULY 24 - TINAMOU AND BOSS WITHSTAND PROTEST

By Taron Clarke | Monday, July 26, 2010

Moonee Valley, July 24, 2010.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - Out 3 metres.
Open Handicap - 2500m. Time: 2-43.49. (Carrying 57kg).
1 Tinamou; 2 Why Do You Ask; 3 Red Buttons.

Three time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss brought up the middle leg of a winning treble at Moonee Valley aboard the Robert Smerdon trained Tinamou.

Smerdon, who is currently holidaying overseas, has forged a formidable partnership with the champion hoop in recent times producing eleven victories from only thirty six mounts. But the win was only guaranteed after stewards dismissed a protest from jockey Dwayne Dunn who rode runner up Why Do You Ask.

Dunn alleged that Boss’ mount Tinamou took his rightful running at the five hundred metre mark. But after a small deliberation stewards dismissed the objection and declared correct weight on the judge’s numbers.

Soon after the start Boss had the favourite Tinamou in lovely position one out and one back, trailing the leading pair of Red Buttons and Why Do You Ask. Top weight Figure Of Speech was forced to cover ground three deep early in the piece.

The field negotiated the home turn on the first occasion with only a moderate tempo being set by jockey Brad Rawiller and Red Buttons. Boss and Tinamou continued to enjoy all the favours with a beautiful run in transit, tracking the speed some four lengths off the top.

As the field swung out of the straight, jockey Danny Brereton aboard Figure Of Speech made a lightning move from his three wide midfield position to be up outside Red Buttons and the tempo slightly increased.
The Chris Hyland trained Crabs, who was the other runner in the market, whipped the field in some sixteen lengths off the speed as the field started to climb the hill at the back of the track.

Once Figure Of Speech had secured his position outside the leader Red Buttons, jockey Brad Rawiller elected to steady the tempo again and he was able to sneak some easy sectionals between the fifteen and eight hundred metre marks.

Being the champion rider he is, Boss was well aware of the cheap sectionals and he forced his mount Tinamou out three deep to set sail after the leader Red Buttons who had enjoyed all the favours in front.

Top weight Figure Of Speech’s early run was starting to tell. He was not responding under jockey Danny Brereton and was quickly dropping out of the battle that had developed.

Red Buttons and Rawiller increased the tempo and this in turn saw Why Do You Ask, for jockey Dwayne Dunn, slide up to his girth and the favourite Tinamou chime in three deep.

Not long after Dunn sent his mount forward he was forced to check and ease out of the battle up front.

The cause of the check was later determined by stewards in the protest hearing as a shift out from Red Buttons (inside) and a shift in from Tinamou (outside), coupled with the fact that Why Do You Ask was laying in.

This check put Why Do You Ask a length behind Red Buttons and Tinamou who were both asked for the supreme effort.

As the leading trio swung for home, the favourite, under hard riding from jockey Glen Boss, raced a length in front of Red Buttons who could offer no more with Why Do You Ask picking up ground three deep and coming after the main fancy.

Once clear of Red Buttons, Tinamou responded to the urgings of Boss and raced clear and rolled back to the fence, with the chaser Why Do You Ask spotting him a length and a half and chasing gamely.

In a grinding finish, Tinamou saluted by a short neck from the unlucky Why Do You Ask, with a further length-and-three-quarters back to early pace maker Red Buttons.

On completion of the jockeys weighing out, jockey Dwayne Dunn lodged an objection against Tinamou and jockey Glen Boss for alleged interference caused at the five hundred metre mark. The objection was dismissed and the placing’s stood.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Stable Representative Henry Dwyer: “We’ve had a good run. I think a lot of the credit can go to an above-ground treadmill there now. We can do a bit more work on them now without taxing them with the weight on their back and it’s a really good tool.

“Since Warrnambool he has really blossomed. He went really well at Warrnambool and he has kept on stepping up in distance.

"Early on we didn’t think he would get to this sort of trip, but now that he is we have given him a hurdle trial and just a really easy week ... and that’s sort of agreed with him. He was nice fresh for today. He’s done a good job.

“He can jump. He’s a really good jumper. Obviously in the hurdles they go along at a slower tempo so the distance isn’t as much of an issue there. It’s just whether he stands up to the extra work of the preparation required for a jumper.

“I think we will just qualify him this prep, he’s got one more hurdle trial to have before he is qualified then all going well we will have him ready for next year.”

Jockey Glen Boss: “He’s been in great form and he’s a handy stayer.

"It wasn’t pretty, but that’s how you have got to ride this track sometimes and I knew that if Red Buttons was getting a soft run like he was, and the second and third horse weren’t taking me into the race, I had to get out and make a race of it, because if you can get to Red Buttons early, he can tend to be found wanting, but if you leave alone in front for a long time he kicks strong.”

As the protest siren whaled out over the course proper Boss was asked of his knowledge of the interference that took place and his response was the most confident, “Good luck!”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Tinamou): 2.80 out to start 3.00
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Prior to correct weight being declared, D. Dunn, rider of Why Do You Ask (second place getter) lodged an objection against Tinamou (G. Boss) being declared first place getter on the grounds of alleged interference from the 500m to the 300m.

On the evidence, it was established that approaching the 500m, Why Do You Ask which was laying in, had to be eased and lost ground when tightened for room between Red Buttons and Tinamou, both of which shifted ground.

The Stewards were of the view that the shift from Red Buttons was a contributing factor in the incident and for that reason, the benefit must go to Tinamou given it was not the sole contributor. Therefore the objection was dismissed and correct weight declared.

Doctor Gachet was slow to begin.

Figure Of Speech as obliged to race three wide without cover in the early and middle stages, and then commenced to give ground from the 800m. A subsequent veterinary examination for Figure Of Speech revealed no abnormalities.

L. Nolen (Streaky Fella) was of the opinion that the gelding may have come to the end of its preparation.

More articles