CAUL AUG 14 - TERRIFIC TOFF TAKES VAIN STAKES

By Taron Clarke | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Caulfield, August 14, 2010.
Track - Slow 7. Rail - out 7.0m.
Vain Stakes Listed 3YO Colts + Geldings SWP- 1100m.
Time: 107.17. (Carrying 57.5kg).
1 Toorak Toff; 2 Soul; 3 Star Witness.

Caulfield trainer Rick Hore-Lacy has saddled up plenty of excellent three year old colts over the years including Canny Lad, Spartacus and more recently Dash for Cash and champion colt come stallion Redoutes Choice … but Hore-Lacy’s latest commodity, Toorak Toff, has him very excited.

Lining up against an excellent field in this year’s rendition of the Vain Stakes, Toorak Toff wasn’t expected to bother the nippier colts in the field such as Master Harry, Shrapnel and Blue Diamond Stakes winner Star Witness.

His class alone however ensured he played a major part in the finish by giving the field a start and a beating in a last to first performance that ensures the son of Show a Heart will have his next start in the Golden Rose to be run at Rosehill in two weeks’ time.

Partnered by champion jockey Damien Oliver, Toorak Toff began as well as anything from his outside draw of barrier ten, but he was soon beaten for speed and allowed to drift back to the rear of the field.

Brilliantly away at barrier rise was General Truce with the David Hayes trained colt Marmaa sitting outside him at his girth. The Peter Snowden trained Soul was away well from his rails barrier draw and jockey Mark Zahra allowed the son of Commands to settle on the fence trailing the leader.

The favourite for the race was the well supported Blue Diamond victor Star Witness. The Starcraft colt was away well from his middle of the line barrier, but jockey Nick Hall allowed the colt plenty of time to balance up and was forced to race midfield four deep down the side of the track.

Peters Moody’s colt Master Harry, who was also well in the market, lobbed in fifth position outside of Soul and within three lengths of the leaders.

Toorak Toff was at the rear as the field raced inside the 600 metre mark, spotting the leaders seven lengths start, with Oliver content to bide his time on the big chestnut.

Steven Arnold on board Marmaa, allowed his mount some more leather and in turn raced a half to three quarters of a length in front of General Truce who held the inside running. The Mark Kavanagh trained Shrapnel was enjoying a beautiful run in transit, tracking in the one out one back position as the field approached the home turn.

As the field commenced the swing for home, Oliver on board Toorak Toff was able to work the chestnut colt away from the fence and track on to the back of the favourite Star Witness.

To his immediate inside was Master Harry who appeared to be making heavy weather of it under the hard riding of Luke Nolen. Soul for Mark Zahra, had worked off the fence and had run up behind Marmaa as the field negotiated the home turn.

In the early part of the straight Marmaa held a slender advantage over General Truce who had railed through. Soul was directly behind these two and on his outside was Shrapnel who was not responding to the strong riding of Michael Rodd.

Looming large out wide on the track was Star Witness who looked to be full of running. The deepest horse on the track was Toorak Toff and Oliver was calling upon the son of Show a Heart for his effort.

At the 200 metre mark, Soul had managed to secure a needle eye opening between Marmaa and General Truce and had raced to a slender lead.

Out wide on the track the swoopers where starting to gather their momentum, particularly Toorak Toff. Damien Oliver had brought Toorak Toff from last on the fence down the side of the track, to within a striking position at the distance marker. Only a length and a half separated Soul, Star Witness and Toorak Toff.

Toorak Toff managed to edge past Star Witness, and with giant strides claimed Soul at the 50 metre mark and jockey Oliver put the whip away and punched out the colt hands and heels to win by a head from the ever consistent Soul with a half-length back to Star Witness in third.

That trio managed to beat the rest of the field, who was headed by early pacemaker General Truce, by three lengths.

Toorak Toff posted a wonderful victory in a race that last year provided the Caulfield Guineas winner and now dual hemisphere Group One winner Starspangledbanner.

The chestnut colt looks a Guineas horse in the making, but will first target the Golden Rose in Sydney.

Hore-Lacy has a definite knack of producing top quality three-year-old colts and there is no doubting that Toorak Toff will continue to fly the flag for the Caulfield trainer in all the major three year old events this spring.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy: “There are not many better three-year-olds around than the ones who turned up today.

"What gets me is that this is a $100,000 race and you go around for $70,000 on an ordinary Saturday race and you get $30,000 more for winning a race like this. I think it’s just bloody ridiculous.

“The Golden Rose is first. It’s a million dollar race at Rosehill in a fortnight and we will give him another run maybe at weight-for-age.

"He is a very good colt … we all know it now. We will run him at weight for age before the Caulfield Guineas.

“It’s a bit early to compare him with a good horse like Redoutes Choice, but if he hadn’t been shin-sore he could have easily have won the Blue Diamond.

“You saw what he did in Sydney. He was just dead stiff a couple of times and those bad gates cost him … could have won both those races.

“He is just a very, very impressive colt and I asked Bill to bid on him and Magic Millions wouldn’t give me any credit, rightly so. But Bill eventually paid the bill on time and I eventually paid him.”

Jockey Damien Oliver: “He has always been a good size horse. He hasn’t grown much, but he hasn’t needed to.

"He was a very mature two year old. He was identified as a top line prospect for a three-year-old and he has come back very well.

“He is a great physical specimen. He is a great size and he travels well and he has a good turn of foot. He did really well as a two-year-old.

"He is well travelled and coped with it well. He has a great constitution and has come back well here and I think there is more improvement in him.

“He finished strongly. He got a little bit tired towards the end, but I think he is in for a good spring.

“There’s no doubt about Rick … he always finds one!”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Toorak Toff): 7.00 out to 9.00.
Favourite (Star Witness): 4.00 in to 3.90. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Thou Shall Conquer jumped away awkwardly and lost considerable ground and then raced greenly in the early and middle stages.

Ulundi over-raced in the early and middle stages.

Inside the 800m, Ulundi shifted out and hampered both Breitling and Zaeem.

Shrapnel raced wide without cover.

Near the 500m, Breitling (G Boss) shifted in and made contact with Ulundi. This resulted in Thou Shall Conquer, which was having its first start, being checked severely.

In all the circumstances, no direct action was taken, however, G Boss was issued with a severe reprimand for failing to make a greater effort to relieve the pressure to runners to his inside.

Approaching the 200m, Soul, when attempting a narrow run between Marmaa and General Truce, made contact with the hindquarters of General Truce, resulting in both horses getting unbalanced.

L Nolen reported on the scales that Master Harry failed to handle the track conditions today. A veterinary examination of Master Harry revealed no abnormalities.

G Boss (Breitling) explained that from the wide draw, he was obligated to ride the colt more conservatively to gain cover, however, was of the view the colt is better suited ridden closer to the speed.

More articles