MITANNI STORMS HOME IN EYE LINER

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 15, 2009

The John Wallace trained Mitanni scored an emotional victory in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich on Saturday.

The old war-horse made it win number twenty when he came home in determined fashion under a perfect ride from apprentice Brent Evans, whose delight exploded with the winning salute of the day as he stood upright in the saddle a couple of lengths from the line to signal the triumph of horse and rider in an extravagance celebration.

Evans was fined $750 for his ‘celebratory gesture prior to reaching the winning post.’ He was happy to trade the money for the result.

Apart from the twenty wins Mitanni has also finished in a minor placing twenty-four times in his seventy-eight race career to date. He had already earned over $1 million going into the race and he boosted his earnings by another $112000 with this Eye Liner success.

Eye Liner Stakes Handicap (Listed) - 1350m. Time: 1-20.02.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - True.
1 Mitanni; 2 Mr Hornblower; 3 Voice Commander.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Wallace (who was not at the track): “I was a bit crook on the day. I had the flu so I had to stay home. I rang Larry Klinge in the morning and I said, look there will be nobody there ... I got a feeling he might lob this old horse today and you might have to stand in for me at the winners’ presentation.

“It was the first time he’s drawn a barrier this time in and, another thing, he got a better track. It was a bit thrill I can tell you. He had to fight in the finish, but he was always travelling in the run. Brent (Evans) rode him very well. The horse really runs for him. The horse is rising ten now, but as long as he stays sound and everything, and shows a zest for it, I can’t see any point in not carrying on.”

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans: “He’s been drawing wide and we’ve had a little trouble with him. But when he drew the gate I was confident right from acceptances that he’d be right in it. He was always going to get back throughout. There was a fair bit of speed in the race. I just settled him back there and he was comfortable. He relaxed under me so well.

"Then after that, you sort of have to get going on him a bit early. You got to warm him up a bit. Coming around the turn I got a track into the race from Steel Lips. I was on the back of a nice horse that was going to take me where I wanted to go. Got to the end of that and there was a bit of a run there and I pushed him through and he knew what he was doing. When he hit the front ... he just kept on going. They weren’t going to stop him.

“I’ve ridden him before. The last time I rode him we finished third. We changed our plans a bit there and I took off early on him and I think that’s the secret, you know. I wasn’t on him the last couple of runs. The first time there was a bit of a riding mix-up one day and then they went to a non-claiming race and went for a senior rider. Both times they rode him for luck and it’s very hard to get luck back there in such big races you know, going up the inside, and he didn’t get the luck.

“Coming here today, I am very happy that he (trainer John Wallace) put me back on in such a race. I really want to thank Mr Wallace for sticking with me in a big race where I can’t take my claim. Yeah, I saluted going to the line. It was just an enormous feeling. It was a whole lot of adrenaline ... just an adrenaline rush. I can’t really explain it. It was just a real big thrill to win such a race on such a good old horse. He’s a grand old galloper. He’s still got it.

“Yeah, I’ve been lucky. Things have moved pretty fast for me. I’ve run out of goals for now, you know. I’ll have to go home and sit down with a pen and paper and write a couple more I think.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Mitanni): 15.00 steady.
Favourite (Maxisun): 3.20 out to 3.60. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
B. Evans the rider of Mitanni was fined the sum of $750.00 for making a celebratory gesture prior to reaching the winning post. B. Evans was advised that stewards would never wish to curtail his exuberance but his actions today were not to be repeated in future.

All smiles