CAUL AUG 14 - WARREN’S WINNING RHYTHM

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Caulfield, August 14, 2010.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - out 7.0m.
Cockram Stakes (Group Three - 4YO&up - Mares SWP) - 1200m.
Time: 1-13.27. (Carrying 53.0kg).
1 Rhythm In Paris; 2 Response; 3 Lady Lynette.

Mornington trainer Jason Warren was able to win his first race at Caulfield and his first Black type event with Rhythm In Paris in the Group Three Cockram Stakes.

A dual acceptor on the eight race card, part owner John Stewart made the decision to forgo a start in the restricted fillies and mare’s race and hope to gain a start in the Group Three feature, the Cockram Stakes.

The decision was the right one, as the Bianconi mare gained a start as the second emergency and went on to score a handsome victory under regular jockey Ben Melham.

Seventeen runners faced the starter at the 1200 metre chute and the field jumped away as one at barrier rise with the speedy Save a Penny and Das Machen quickly into stride and sent forward looking for a prominent position.

The favourite for the event was the Robert Smerdon trained Lady Lynette. She too was quickly away, but her awkward draw ensured that jockey Nick Hall allowed the mare drift back into the second half of the field.

Rhythm In Paris was away well and Melham allowed the five year old mare time to find her feet and she settled in a midfield position three horses off the fence with cover.

Behind the leading duo Save a Penny and Das Machen, was a wall of runners which included Big Spirit, Rue Maple, No Evidence Needed, My Girl Helen and Take All of Me. Melham and Rhythm In Paris were able to track this wall of runners and get a beautiful suck up into the race only four lengths off the top.

Tracking Big Spirit along the inside of runners was Craig Williams’ mount Response, from her rails barrier draw.

As was the order of the day, runners elected to stay four, five and even six wide off the fence and this race was no exception.

The leaders Save a Penny and Das Machen steered a deliberate course five horse off the fence and this in turn allowed Big Spirit to slip along the fence and join the leading duo as heads turned for home. Jockey Craig Williams had saved every inch of ground on his mount Response and was able to get right on to the back of the leaders.

The favourite Lady Lynette was content to track Rhythm In Paris after racing in the second half off the field, five lengths off the leaders as the field compacted and rounded the home turn.

Via virtue of a ground saving ride, Big Spirit had raced through to grab the lead and to her immediate inside was Response, who had tracked Big Spirit every inch of the way.

As the field balanced in the early part of the straight, early leader Save a Penny had dropped off leaving Big Spirit, Response and Das Machen in front with Response looking to be the most likely to be in the finish.

Looming large out wide on the track was Rhythm In Paris and favourite Lady Lynette. They had both raced four and five horses off the fence with cover for the duration of the race and were starting to hit top gear as the field reached the 200 metre mark. Response held a length margin over Rhythm In Paris and Lady Lynette, with Das Machen tiring to fourth and Big Spirit dropping out.

Out wide on the track and clearly racing in the better going was Rhythm In Paris, who raced up to join Response and out beyond the centre of track was favourite Lady Lynette who was battling on strongly.

Over the last 75 metres race fitness saw Rhythm In Paris draw away under the urgings of Melham to win by a length and a quarter to Response, with a nose back to the favourite Lady Lynette in third.

Of the beaten brigade the runner up Response’s effort clearly had the most merit.

Racing first up since being beaten in the Queen of the Turf Stakes back in April, Response raced on the inferior section throughout the race. Her run came to an end 100 metres out, which indicated she will derive great benefit from this outing. She should continue to acquit herself well as she progresses through mares company races over the Spring Carnival.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jason Warren: “Not only winning Black Type, but this is my first winner at Caulfield…..so I am thrilled to bits.
“We were very confident. At 7.25am this morning we still didn’t have a run … so we were just rapt to scrape into the field.
“She had quite a sizeable bone chip removed from her fetlock. We have taken our time with her and John Stewart and Rob Roulston have been huge supporters of mine and extremely patient and we have given her the time and it has paid dividends.
“I couldn’t have done it without them and this is just a terrific result for long-term clients of mine who have been with me since day dot.
“I could only dream of winning a Group One for these guys, ‘cause like I said I wouldn’t be doing this without them.”
Owner Rob Roulston: “This is a great win … mainly for my partner John Stewart. He bred the mare, the mother … it’s by a stallion who stands in his backyard at home. So it’s very thrilling for him.
“I think he (Jason Warren) is a good upcoming trainer and we are happy to support him. I really wanted to run this mare in race two, but I was talked out of it by my partner, so he’s the good judge.”
Jockey Ben Melham: “She is a handy mare. We had a bit of luck in running and drawing the right part of the track where we could get to the right part of the track in the straight.
“She has always had a bit of class on her side this mare and I knew she would measure up one day. We put her in this race today to get a line on whether she could.
“It is a terrific training performance by Jason too because she had a chip removed and we have struggled to get gallops on the grass and what not, so he’s had to coax her along and he has done that really well and it’s paid dividends.
“She has won over seven before and she will even get out to a mile I think, it was good to kick her off here with a win.”
PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Rhythm in Paris): 11.00 out to 12.00 in to 11.00
Favourite (Lady Lynette): 4.40 out to 5.00 in to 4.40. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards questioned Mr T Corstens, trainer of Sneaky Tsu, regarding the pre-race tactics to be adopted on that mare and he confirmed that at this stage of the mare’s preparation it would be more beneficial to ride her back from the awkward draw. Sneaky Tsu was ridden accordingly.

Irish Lights jumped away awkwardly and lost ground. Big Spirit shifted in at the start and tightened Valentine Miss.

For some distance passing the 400m, No Evidence Needed was held up for clear running.
Das Machen layed in under pressure in the straight.

Near the 100m Rue Maple dipped. A veterinary examination of Rue Maple revealed the mare to be lame in the off-foreleg. Trainer Mr D Weir was notified that prior to Rue Maple racing again, he must produce a veterinary certificate of fitness.

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