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Saturday Post Mortem with Chris Scholtz

by Chris Scholtz , 5 years ago

3 minute read

Chris Scholtz reviews racing around Australia on August 4.

THE STARS

PIERATA/GREG HICKMAN: Popular Warwick Farm trainer had his crack sprinter ready to go and aided by a James McDonald gem Pierata took his revenge on arch rival Kementari with a thrilling win in the Missile Stakes. Sets up a big spring for both Everest contenders.

JAMES CUMMINGS: The Godolphin stable is flying towards the spring after starting the new season with five winners at Randwick and Moonee Valley. The import Avilius was a star with his super Australian debut at Randwick while there is plenty in store for the unbeaten Multaja after her impressive return at Moonee Valley.

PETER AND PAUL SNOWDEN: They also enjoyed a big day with five wins with four at Kembla Grange to go with their Randwick success with the promising Military Zone. However the highlight for the stable would have been the maiden win by the classy prospect Spin at Kembla – he had to win if he’s going to be the Group horse the stable thinks he is.

BRENT STANLEY: The day kept better for the popular former jockey turned trainer with three wins in 90 minutes at Wangarratta (Summerfest), Moonee Valley (Mig Energy) and finally Randwick where Red Alto was the sole rival for Chris Waller’s eight starters in the staying race over 2400m. Well done ‘Sparky’ for being the only one willing to stop the race from being a complete farce.

CIARONMAHER/DAVID EUSTACE: Victoria’s newest training team get off the flier with a win by Naantali at Moonee Valley, three days after their training partnership was formalised. Eustace had been Maher’s assistant trainer for some time.

COREY BAYLISS: He’s had some recent ups and downs but the apprentice showed he is fast on his feet after blitzing his rivals in the annual jockeys’ foot race at Doomben that was part of the National Jockey Trust race day. Form students will have noted the interference suffered by several runners (where were the stewards?) and the fast finishing ‘barrier trial’ by Jackson Murphy.

HIGHLIGHTS

JACKSON MURPHY: A double at Doomben underlined the talent of one of Brisbane’s rising stars in the riding ranks but he will be cooling his heels for two weeks after copping a 15-day suspension at Gatton on Friday.

AARON BULLOCK: Newcastle jockey maintained an unbeaten record on Magic Choir with a Highway win at Randwick for his close mate Todd Howlett.

DWAYNE DUNN: Landed a double at Moonee Valley but needs a big thank you to Call Me Handsome’s trainer Peter Gelagotis and take fellow rider Chris Symons out for a good feed. An overweight Symons forfeited the mount after Gelagotis told him on Friday that he was going to scratch Call Me Handsome, leading to the jockey having a big dinner thinking he didn’t have to make the light weight.

MICHAEL COSTA: Gold Coast trainer adds to his reputation after getting the former Group One placed Gold Ambition back to winning form at Doomben.

GARY CLARKE/BRENDON DAVIS: Top Darwin trainer and jockey team combine to win the Palmerston Sprint with course specialist Captain Punch. The 7YO cruised home by almost eight lengths for his eighth win from 10 starts at Fannie Bay with Davis on board in six of his wins. It was Clarke’s second win in Darwin’s biggest sprint race.

PEACOCK/DIANNE MURPHY: Beaudesert trainer is enjoying a fine time in north Queensland with this former Godolphin sprinter. Peacock added Saturday’s Cairns Newmarket to his win in last month’s Rockhampton Newmarket and is now in line for a $150,000 bonus if he can win the Cairns Amateurs Sprint in September.

LOWLIGHTS

MICHAEL MURPHY: An eventful day for talented Brisbane apprentice. After landing his first Sydney win with Bergerac it went pear shaped when he was fined $1000 and suspended for seven days for excessive use of the whip that could have cost the horse the win. Stewards came down hard as he has a history of eight previous whip breaches in recent times. A forgettable ride on stablemate Prioritise also contributed to a day he will long remember.

JAMES McDONALD/GLYN SCHOFIELD: Top riders took chances and copped careless riding suspension after they fought out the finish of the Missile Stakes. An example of how the stakes are raised when riding in Group races.

SIN BIN

ITALIA BELLA: Rider Matt McGillivray said the mare couldn’t get ‘traction’ and couldn’t ‘pick up her feet’ on a shifty Doomben track. The punters who supported the hot favourite also had that sinking feeling.

ANOTHER COLDIE: Post race report said he may have come to end of his prep. Punters had other words for it.

OSORNO: Should he or shouldn’t he? Godolphin stable reported he sustained minor abrasions to near fore fetlock and off-hind hock on Friday morning but he was passed fit to race after arriving at the track. Never went a yard under pressure and post-race examination revealed no abnormalities. If only horses could talk!

RIDE OF THE DAY

MICHAEL MURPHY: He might have tested the whip rules but he was a hero for punters who supported Randwick winner Bergerac as they will know the Brisbane apprentice’s desperate riding over the last 200m got him home.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

• “I hope you're watching Ryder, that one was for you my little matey. Ryder has been part of my life from when he was six months old.” – An emotional shout out from trainer Lisa Enright to her nine-year-old nephew after the win by You’ve Been Had at Moonee Valley. Young Ryder was diagnosed with leukaemia during the week.

THEY SAID IT….

• “The difference was we were fresh and not coming off a big Brisbane campaign. We had the luck today and we turned the tables. The doubts have gone from our minds now.” – Pierata’s trainer Greg Hickman.

• "We'll let the dust settle and see what happens. If the Everest happens we will discuss it - it would be nice to win $13 million, but it would be nice to win an Epsom and other races as well.” – more from Greg Hickman.

• "I could feel he had the race won a long way out….I was smoking. When I let him go it was never in doubt,” – Pierata’s jockey James McDonald.

• “He has got form behind some of the best in the world. On the way he won the team are going to have a lot of fun with him.” – Glyn Schofield’s view of the impressive import Avilius.

• “I don’t get very emotional but it definitely meant a lot riding that for Todd. He has been a great supporter of mine and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Throughout my career I’ve looked up to him as a father figure.” – Aaron Bullock thanks trainer Todd Howlett for his support after their Randwick win with Magic Choir.

• “It was good to beat the Waller camp,” – Red Alto’s rider Tye Angland celebrates his Red Alto win at Randwick over eight rivals from the Waller stable.

• “Dave has been an integral part of the stable and it’s good for him to get on the ticket and have a crack with me.” – Ciaron Maher welcomes his new trainer partner David Eustace.

• “He’s given so much from the time we got him. The more you throw at him the better he goes. I was confident when he got a horse beside him he would fight,” – rookie trainer Julius Sandhu adds a third win with Princeton Spirit at Moonee Valley.

• “We're getting into carnival time and this is one horse that we're pencilling in for a few races. He's a horse going places,” – trainer Peter Galagotis on his spring aspirations for Call Me Handsome.

• “With a horse like her, you don’t know how long you will have them for, she’s had a lot of issues. She’s got awful front legs and she also got caught in a fence as a young horse. Then she had a bleed in a trial….that’s why she’s five and has only had a handful of starts.” – trainer Toby Edmonds on his trials and tribulations with his Doomben winner Linlithgow.

BLACKBOOK

KEMENTARI: Big return. It’s all ahead of him.

LANCIATO: He will be the weight horse in the Epsom.

BRIMHAM ROCKS: Strong staying type. Will get better.

BERDIBEK: Plenty to like about his first-up effort.

EAGLE BAY: Watch him improve when he gets out in trip.


Racing and Sports

tags

Pierata Kementari Avilius Multaja Military Zone Spin Summerfest Mig Energy Red Alto Naantali Magic Choir Call Me Handsome Gold Ambition Captain Punch Peacock Bergerac Prioritise ITALIA BELLA ANOTHER COLDIE OSORNO You’ve Been Had Princeton Spirit

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