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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 11.

THE STARS

TYE ANGLAND/RACING NSW: Rode two winners at Rosehill but his gesture to donate his earnings from his winning ride on Irithea – a pick up after Josh Parr was unavailable - to the drought-stricken NSW farmers made him the standout individual star of the day. It came after Racing NSW announced it would provide $1 million to assist racing industry participants affected by the drought in the country areas.

DARREN WEIR: The record breaking trainer shows he is broadening his horizons as he sets about chasing down his own Australian record of 491 wins by winning seven races at four different venues in Victoria, SA and NSW. He won four on the bounce at Flemington including the feature with Voodoo Lad, one at Moe and one at Morphettville but the ground breaker was his first Newcastle win with the import It’s A Silvertrail after he noted a race over 2900m was too good an opportunity to ignore. Unfortunately It’s A Silvetrail suffered a tendon injury and was found to be 3/5 lame in the near foreleg, leaving a big cloud over his future.

JAMES CUMMINGS: Continued the great start the Godolphin stable has made to the new season with four wins at three venues including a Rosehill double with the quality pair Trekking and Flow while Bandipur continued with his winning form at Flemington.

KERRIN McEVOY: In top form with three wins at Rosehill including the feature Rosebud on the quality colt Sandbar. However riding two winners for Godolphin underlines that he is well and truly back in the fold with his former retainer.

JAMIE KAH: Nothing unusual to see Adelaide’s golden girl ride three winners at Morphettville, but it's a day she will remember as Artie Dee Two marked the first time she has ridden a winner for the Darren Weir stable. The mystery is why it took so long for Weir to use her on his regular Adelaide runners.

ROBERT THOMPSON: The evergreen 60-year-old champion jockey makes his annual pilgrimage to north Queensland to win the $100,000 Cairns Cup for the fifth time and his second in four years for his good friend and former jockey Ron Ryan and his trainer wife Janel. We Just Love It gave the Ryans their third Cairns Cup.

HIGHLIGHTS

DAMIEN OLIVER: Winning the G3 Aurie’s Star with a super ride on Voodoo Lad gave the champion jock his first black type win for Darren Weir in 11 years.

GERALD RYAN: Best training performance of the day to produce Harper's Choice for an easy win over 1800m at Rosehill 63 days after he won over 2400m at the same course in June.

QUICK DEFENCE: Sold during the week to do his future racing in Tasmania for the John Blacker stable, he may have forced his new owners to have a rethink after he repaid his purchase price with interest with his win at Rosehill.

DOOMBEN TIMES: They were smashing the clock at Doomben with the fast track becoming a leaders expressway as the day progressed. The notable times included a Class 6 mare Shesees Everything clocking 1:08.57 over 1200m, only 0.69 seconds outside Takeover Target's track record and the classy Order Again running 1350m in 1:17.69, breaking the previous class record which had stood for 14 years. The latter is a horse to follow when he heads interstate.

MARK DU PLESSIS: Much travelled international jockey now based in Queensland recalls he had not ridden a winner at Doomben since 2007 after getting home on Meet Mr Taylor for trainer Kelly Schweida.

MATT DUNN: The dominant Murwillumbah trainer wins his 18th Highway race in Sydney with Lifesaver, a record that again begs the question why Canberra trainers are excluded from these events.…most know the answer is petty politics!

SHANE BOTTOMLEY: Cranbourne trainer turned a trick by backing up his 6YO gelding Rubme from a seventh as a 20/1 chance at Warrnambool on Thursday to win under 70kg over 2050m at Moe on Saturday as favourite.

RIDES OF THE DAY

KERRIN McEVOY: Picture perfect from an awkward gate on Sandbar but it was his determination to lift Trekking and Flow that highlighted his skills as both horses were not entitled to win after enduring tough runs. An honourable mention to Damien Oliver for his perfectly judged ride on Voodoo Lad.

LOWLIGHTS

BRAD STEWART/EF TROOP: Not a good look to see the $1.45 favourite posted three and four deep under 60kg, leading to a stewards inquiry into Brad Stewart’s tactics.

ANDREW MALLYON: Suffered an asthma attack while riding third placed Kilimanjaro in the first race at Flemington, his only ride for the day. Thankfully he completed the race safely but needed ambulance attention on pulling up. The question is whether Mallyon – or any other rider prone to suffer from asthma - should be cleared to ride in races. Not an easy one for the authorities…..but amazingly it didn’t rate a mention in the Flemington stewards report!

LUKE CURRIE: Left trainer Tony McEvoy perplexed and stewards asking questions after his tactics mid race on Illumicon in race five down the straight 1200m at Flemington. Told stewards he made a mid-race decision to shift out towards the outside rail near the 700m because he felt the gelding would benefit from racing amid other runners and that after walking the track he felt the extreme outside of the track was as good as any other section. However in hindsight he admitted he may have been better to have stayed towards the inside of the field. Go figure!

FLEMINGTON RACE 6: This was a train wreck for a number of runners behind the winner The Statesman. The stewards report says it all about the performances of Bling Dynasty, Urban Ruler and most of all Haripour….blackbookers!

SIN BIN

MAN FROM UNCLE: Late scratching after refusing to load for second successive time. Not quite in the Chautauqua class yet but he’s now got to pass an official trial before he can attempt to race again.

JETGIRL: The folly of trusting weak country form in short course races was clearly exposed by the ordinary effort of this well supported favourite in the Highway at Rosehill. Reported to be slow to recover and trainer Dean Mirfin felt the mare may not have appreciated the unseasonal warm weather. She will now be spelled.

THE MACALLAN: Raced without cover but no excuse for another ordinary effort. Will now be spelled.

OXFORD TYCOON: Carried high expectations into The Rosebud but failed to bloom as expected. Later found to be 1/5 lame in off foreleg.

ISTRIA: No spark second-up. May prefer softer tracks.

GHOSTLY: No response under pressure. Found to be 1/5 lame in near hind leg.

RED CHOUX'S: Very ordinary – beaten almost 12 lengths - for a horse backed from $1.65 to $1.45. The Weir factor doesn’t work every time.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I grew up in the country, my dad’s a farmer and he has got cattle so I know how tough it is for them. I’m just giving back a little something. They are hand feeding cattle with nothing, losing money - that’s something to think about.” – Tye Angland’s admirable concern for the plight of NSW farmers.

THEY SAID IT…..

• “If you swap the barriers I win. The winner has come from barrier two and got the run of the race. Maybe I should have been more aggressive and put the foot to the floor and tried to lead but there was no sure thing I would have not still been caught deep and still got beaten." – Brad Stewart defends his ride on Ef Troop.

• "You can't win races sitting deep like that under big weights.”- Ef Troop’s trainer Tony Gollan.

• "He went into the fight when I asked him.”- Kerrin McEvoy’s praise for Sandbar.

• "Sandbar could be my Everest horse next year.”- owner Damion Flower on his long term hopes for the colt.

• “Sandbar had only had the one gallop and one trial going into this race. He has so much improvement to come.”- trainer Brad Widdup on his stable star.,

• "The first time I rode him in a barrier trial he was wrapped up more than Christmas but he's fine now. I think he has got a lot more to offer.”- Hugh Bowman on the change in Paret’s attitude.

• “It’s not easy to do at Rosehill, sit three wide on the turn and keep out muscling them. It just goes to show how well this horse has come back.”- Terrking’s trainer James Cummings.

• “I tried to time it to be attacking strongly the last 100m and attack is exactly what he did.” – Trekking’s rider Kerrin McEvoy.

• “I’ve had a lot of support. Without support you can’t do it and I’ve had plenty so I’ve been blessed.”- a humble Tommy Berry after his Rosehlill win on Quick Defence.

• "I think he's improved out here with a bit of sun on his back and I loved the way he took that extra furlong to pull up. With stayers heading to longer races you always look at how quickly they stop.” - astute advice from Jaameh’s trainer David Hayes.

• “It's frustrating sometimes with these types of horses. They've got a ton of talent but they just go into the wilderness. The switch over to Melbourne, a change of scenery, has seen him really turn up today." – Crockett’s trainer Tony McEvoy.

• "He's got a ticker as big as himself. He's always a fighter, he's never finished until he gets past the line.”- Godolphin’s Melbourne manager Reg Fleming on Bandipur’s will to win.

•

• “He would have won the Derby had it not been for his bad feet. Brian is a master and to get him back to the races is an outstanding effort," - Larry Cassidy’s praise for Order Again and his trainer Brian Smith.

• “When you’ve got a commodity like him you have to be patient. There’s been a lot of talk about who the best horse in Queensland is and his name has been mentioned. I don’t think there’s any doubt that when he’s right he is.”- Brian Smith’s rating of Order Again.

• “He’s doing everything on fear at the moment. When he learns to relax he will be a serious horse,” – Meet Mr Taylor’s rider Mark Du Plessis.

BLACKBOOK

ALL TOO SOON: Typical staying type. Give her time.

MISS QUE: Strong return. Hard to beat against own sex.

EMPEROR’S WAY: Ready to win over a middle distance.

RINGERDINGDING: Capable of winning a nice race.

NIGHT’S WATCH: Weir camp had to be happy with his first-up effort.

HARIPOUR: It was a tragedy. Forget he went around.

URBAN RULER: Luckless at first 2000m attempt. Follow.
Racing and Sports

tags

Voodoo Lad It’s A Silvertrail Trekking Flow Bandipur Sandbar We Just Love It Harper’s Choice QUICK DEFENCE Shesees Everything Order Again Meet Mr Taylor Lifesaver Rubme Kilimanjaro Illumicon Bling Dynasty Urban Ruler Haripour MAN FROM UNCLE JETGIRL

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