CAUL JULY 31 - MATT'S MAIDEN METROPOLITAN WIN

By Taron Clarke | Monday, August 2, 2010

Caulfield, July 31, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 4.0m.
3YO Handicap - 1800m.
Time: 1-52.17 (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 The Big Steel; 2 Cheerful Jury; 3 King Cobweb.

Moorooduc trainer Matt Laurie chalked up his first Saturday Metropolitan winner with the grey gelding The Big Steel.

Laurie, who has been training for five years, came from an eventing background and switched to thoroughbred racing because “it’s good money.”

Laurie who has “twenty or thirty horses” in work, mainly juveniles, brought The Big Steel to Caulfield after a narrow victory at the Geelong Synthetic track a month ago.

The nuggetty grey gelding by Urgent Request out of the Pompeii Court mare No Risk is only lightly raced having eight starts to date for three wins and one minor placing.

To add to the joy of the win is the fact the gelding was eligible for a Super VOBIS owner’s bonus of an additional $23,000 to the first place prize money of $42,700.

Ridden by underrated jockey Ben Melham, The Big Steel jumped away well from his middle barrier of nine. After field had raced 200 metres, Melham had the grey gelding down on the fence with another grey King Cobweb on his immediate outside and whipping up four and five wide on the track was Seguro from his extreme outside barrier.

The favourite for Damien Oliver and Mike Moroney was the lightly raced Lordoftheparrots. Oliver jumped the gelding away with the field, but immediately dropped his hands and Lordoftheparrots was allowed to ease back through the field to find a position on the fence.

Seguro for jockey Dean Holland rolled to the front as the field negotiated the first turn. Melham and The Big Steel were content to sit outside the leader as the pace slackened visibly inside the 1400 metre mark.

King Cobweb for jockey Chris Symons had assumed a lovely trailing position one out and one back from his wide draw of fifteen. Oliver had the favourite settled in fourth last position on the fence some ten lengths off the leader.

The run of the race was afforded to the Luke Oliver trained Diazling, who was backing up from her victory at Moonee Valley the week before. Jockey Craig Williams had the filly sitting behind the leader on the fence, saving every inch of ground.

Caught three wide mid field with a trail behind Two Beauties was the Geelong visitor Cheerful Jury for the much travelled hoop Craig Robertson. Lordoftheparrots continued to race back in field for Oliver, and looked to be in awkward position as the field raced down the side of the track.

Dean Holland and Seguro had slowed the field down to a crawl and this in turn saw Craig Robertson and his mount Cheerful Jury make a lightning move from midfield to race up and make a line of three in front.

The pace then quickened and with nowhere to make ground between the tightly bunched field, favourite Lordoftheparrots was shuffled back to last, spotting the leaders eight lengths as the field commenced the swing for home.

After his lightning move, Cheerful Jury was throwing down the gauntlet to early leader Seguro and punching up between them was The Big Steel.

Ben Melham had let the big grey gelding hold his position under his own steam and was yet to ask for the supreme effort.

In the early part of the straight Seguro railed through to maintain his lead of half a length over The Big Steel. Three wide on the track and responding to the urgings of his rider Craig Robertson was Cheerful Jury. King Cobweb was under extreme riding from Chris Symons and failing to make any impression at this stage.

As the field reached the furlong marker, Ben Melham and The Big Steel struck the front from the early pacemaker Seguro and Cheerful Jury.

The Big Steel put up a one length margin at the hundred as Cheerful Jury ran into second placing. Seguro was gobbled up by King Cobweb, who took the entire straight to hit his straps and late was Dorsoduro.

But as the judge called a halt to proceedings it was The Big Steel for jockey Ben Melham and peninsula trainer Matt Laurie who had a length and a quarter to spare over Cheerful Jury and a further three-quarters of a length back to King Cobweb in third.

The favourite of the event Lordoftheparrots made good ground over the concluding stages to finish seventh, three lengths from the winner.

After making his run between runners down the straight, it may be best to forgive the talented galloper from the Moroney camp and look for him to be scorching home out wide in a 2000 metre event on a larger track such as Flemington.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Matt Laurie: “That’s our first Saturday win. We’re really pleased……he’s going to be an exciting horse.

“Now that he has learnt to flatten out ... he’s got nice gate speed and then he just sits nice outside the leader and flattened out really well.

“I’ve got a few long term clients in the horse and the breeder is still in the horse. His breeding is not that special, but he is going to get a trip so we’re going to have some good times with him.

“We’ve had a good year without winning any city races, but we’ve got some really good supportive owners and I am just thrilled for them today.

“We’ve probably got twenty or thirty horses or so, but the majority of them are young.

“We are going to have plenty of fun, he’s going to get a trip and he’s a nice staying horse for the future.

“I did a lot eventing and stuff like that initially and just got into racing because there’s good money in it.

“I had to find my feet along the way a bit, but I think I’ve got enough of an idea now.

“We’ve got some great clients and we’ve got a great property down at Moorooduc and I am really excited about this horse…….he is going to be a nice horse.”

Jockey Ben Melham: “Matt has done a terrific job with him and he had him in tremendous order.

“I have a really big opinion of this horse and he won very well in the end.

“I asked him and he kept giving…..he’s such an honest horse.

“I’ve had a beautiful wrap on this horse for a while.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (The Big Steel): 26.00 out to 31.00.
Favourite (Lord Of The parrots): 3.20 out to 3.40 in to 3.20. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The explanation tendered by trainer Mr R Laming for failing to have Lamichi on course by the prescribed time was accepted.

Trainer Mr B Jenkins was reprimanded for failing to have Seguro (NZ) on course by the prescribed time.

Trainer Mr A Vasil was questioned prior to the race with regard to the disappointing performance of Dorsoduro at its last start at Moonee Valley on July 24 and also as to the filly’s preparation leading into today’s race.

Mr Vasil could not explain the disappointing performance last start other than to put it down to the track on that particular occasion where in his opinion horses were not making ground.

He added that subsequent blood tests taken from the filly were normal and that he had backed off on the filly’s work during the week and that he rode Dorsoduro himself at trackwork last Tuesday morning July 27 and could not fault the filly.

He added that he had nothing specific planned for Dorsoduro’s future racing campaign, but was of the view that Dorsoduro was up to listed company.

Nenagh and Fareer were slow to begin.

Approaching the turn near the 1200m King Cobweb, which was over-racing, had to be checked off the heels of The Big Steel then shifted out inconveniencing Sariden and Two Beauties.

Sariden raced wide without cover.

N Rose (Nenagh) was issued with a reprimand for permitting his mount to shift in at the 600m when not clear of Little Tycoon which had to be eased.

Rounding the home turn and for some distance in the early part of the straight Stoneblack was held up for clear running.

Lordoftheparrots (NZ) was held up rounding the home turn and then in the straight had difficulty in obtaining clear running until after passing the 200m. Lordoftheparrots (NZ) was again held up over the concluding stages.

Lamichi was held up for a short distance rounding the home turn prior to the 300m.
A post-race veterinary examination of Lordoftheparrots (NZ), which performed below expectations, revealed no abnormalities.

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