CAUL JULY 31 - NOLEN WINS 'HIS' RACE ABOARD CURTANA

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, August 1, 2010

Caulfield, July 31, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 4.0m.
2YO Handicap - 1000m.
Time: 58.16. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Curtana; 2 Marmaa; 3 Mr Cool Cat.

Victoria’s newest premiership winning jockey and trainer combination Luke Nolen and Peter Moody continued their success with the Contract Racing owned filly Curtana in the first event at Caulfield on Saturday.

Although their respective premierships had been in the bag for several weeks, the Nolen and Moody bandwagon rolled on with the pair celebrating the victory of Curtana in the “Congratulations Luke Nolen Handicap”.

Curtana, a daughter by Group One winning sprinter Exceed And Excel is out of owner David Moodie’s former good race mare Razor Blade.

As the starter released the field from the 1000 metre shute, Nolen and Curtana were away well but Nolen let the Exceed and Excel filly find her feet early and allowed her to balance up in the second half of the field as the speedsters Tricky Tricky and Umgeton landed in front.

Top weight Marmaa, from the David Hayes yard was away well at barrier rise and worked across to sit third outside of Umgeton. Tracking Marmaa was the Nick Hall mount Mr Cool Cat and he was in the one out one back position.

The favourite Curtana, travelled well in fifth position spotting the flying Tricky Tricky five lengths as the field raced inside the 600 metres.

Tricky Tricky was showing the field a clean pair of plates down the side of the track and appeared to be doing it well within himself.

Glen Boss aboard Umgeton had elected to slot in behind the leader and this in turn allowed heavy weight jockey Steven Arnold aboard Marmaa to slide up to the hindquarters of Tricky Tricky and put Umgeton in a pocket. Mr Cool Cat continued to track Marmaa in fourth position.

The leader Tricky Tricky commenced the turn for home with a lead of a length and a half to Marmaa and Umgeton on its inside.

Curtana was now being urged along under the riding of Luke Nolen and commenced to work away from the fence underneath Makeushappy, who had dropped the bit and was not travelling for jockey Chris Symons. Curtana was able to ease out and onto the back of Mr Cool Cat.

In the early part of the straight Tricky Tricky was able to rail strongly and hold a length margin to Marmaa who was trying to lift under his top weight of 58kg’s.

Umgeton who had followed Tricky Tricky into the straight was now bailed up between the two leaders looking for a run. Mr Cool Cat was coming down the straight four horses off the fence and was within striking distance of the leader. Peter Moody’s filly Curtana found herself balancing up four lengths off the leader with plenty of work to do.

Glen Boss aboard Umgeton had persisted for a run between Tricky Tricky and Marmaa but realised that was not going to eventuate so he reefed the Brendon Hearps trained filly off heels and around Marmaa to come with her run.

Tricky Tricky was starting to feel the pinch and top weight Marmaa surged to the lead. Mr Cool Cat was three quarters of a length back and a further length astern was Curtana who was hitting her straps and looming large.

It only seemed that Marmaa was in front for a stride or two before he was swamped by Curtana and Luke Nolen.

Reaching the front at the 100 metres, Curtana went right on with the job over the concluding stages to score an authoritive victory by one length to the gallant top weight Marmaa with a nose back to the third placed Mr Cool Cat.

Umgeton, who was briefly held up for a run between he tiring Tricky Tricky and Marmaa only battled to the line once clear and finished fourth.

Of the beaten brigade, plenty of merit can be taken from runner up Marmaa’s effort. First up with the steadier of 58kg’s, the General Nediym colt stuck to his guns well.

The winning effort of Curtana looks to be merely a stepping stone to the feature black type fillies’ events over the Spring Carnival.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Moody: “She’s a very good filly and she ran into a very smart stablemate who we’ve got a lot of time for in her first run, so she probably could of quite easily been unbeaten.

As you saw today, her pattern is going to suggest 1400m to a mile ... in three or four runs time she’s going to be a lovely filly.

“You probably thought she was in a bit of trouble if the leaders kicked, but she has got a turn of foot, the turn of foot of a nice horse, and she’s got a very good pedigree and a pedigree that suggests that she will get better with age too.

“It’s the first year I had trained for the other Moodie (David Moodie) family and I wanted to make sure I got it right with a few nice fillies so we didn’t want to rush into it……but she always showed nice ability and I think we’re seeing the fruits of that now and probably even more so again next time around.

“She’s got a couple of high profile stablemates in the same ownership in Crystal Lily and Willow Creek to contend with, so we’ll come back here in a fortnight’s time for a stakes race and then just continue through the fillies series."

Jockey Luke Nolen: “She’s done everything right this time in. I think she’ll stretch to hopefully a Thousand Guineas trip (1600m) later in the spring.

“I had to come off the rail just before straightening to sort of chase a bit. I thought she would be vulnerable late and I thought they were going to stick on a bit better than what they did, and I think there is more merit in her win because of that.

“I had the ‘Get Well Luke Nolen Handicap’ at Benalla one day after I had that crash in Brisbane ... I wasn’t able to win that one. It’s good the rest of them slowed down for me and let me win this one.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Curtana): 2.00 out to 2.60.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Mr Cool Cat shifted in at the start and was then taken in further by Umgeton. This resulted in heavy contact between Mr Cool Cat and Makeushappy which in turn shifted in bumping Sublime Girl which lost considerable ground.

Near the 600m Jugahlation, which was racing greenly, shifted in and tightened the racing of Sublime Girl momentarily.

In the early part of the straight Umgeton was held up for clear running and after passing the 200m had to change course to obtain a clear run between Mr Cool Cat and Marmaa. A short distance after this, Umgeton had to be eased and shifted in when disappointed for that particular run when Marmaa shifted out slightly.

When questioned regarding the tactics adopted on Jugahlation S. King explained that it wasn’t the connections intention to lead with the gelding at its last start at Caulfield on July 17 and on paper there appeared to be a significant amount of speed and from his wide draw today he was instructed to ride his mount more patiently.

B Stanley reported at scale that Tricky Tricky was making an unusual respiratory noise. A subsequent veterinary examination of the colt revealed no abnormalities other than a slower than normal recovery.

A post-race veterinary examination of Sublime Girl which performed below expectations revealed no abnormalities.

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