12/06/2014
Wyong may have been a heavy 8 but jockeys praised the racing surface at today’s meeting, despite 87mm of rain in the last seven days.
Robert Thompson said it was soft but raced fair and with little kick back.
Sam Clipperton said it was in good order and with a thick grass cover.
“Horses are getting through it well, they have done a good job in preparing the track,” Clipperton said.
Wyong trainer, Les Tilley, who won the Coca-Cola Benchmark 60 (1100m) with Albessy, said the fact that the meeting went ahead spoke volumes for the work that had been done on the track.
“Once we would not have been able to race after that much rain but the track really drains well now,” he said.
***
Local trainer Les Tilley may head to Grafton with Albessy after the mare, ridden by Robert Thompson, came from second last to win the Coca-Cola Benchmark 60 (1100m).
Tilley admitted he partially had the Evan Holland trained Al Cavan and her rider, Alex Stokes, to thank for the win.
Stokes set a sizzling pace in front one of the two factors Tilley said he wanted.
“We wanted a fast pace and a slow track and we got both,” Tilley said.
“She always comes from well back.
“That’s how Robert won on her at Muswellbrook four or five runs back.
“She was back near last but with good speed on.”
Thompson said Albessy had enjoyed the conditions.
“I kept saying to myself, keeping going Alex, go faster,” Thompson said.
“This mare has to have the speed on and she needs a soft track.”
Tilley is a regular at the Grafton carnival although he missed last year through illness.
“I don’t mind getting to Grafton in July and there is a 1400 metre race up there that should suit the mare,” he said.
***
Perhaps it has been done on other tracks but no one could remember it being done at Wyong before.
The distinguished looking foreman for David Vandyke, who spoke to the media after Sansui Drawing won the www.wyongraceclub.com.au Class Two (1600m) was in fact the stable’s veterinarian, Michael Robinson.
And only minutes after the horse had been unsaddled and while still in the parade yard Robinson was checking the horse’s heart beat to plot his recovery rate.
Robinson, who was the vet for the Freedman brothers before joining Van Dyke, described Sansui Drawing as a one paced stayer.
The win belonged to Tim Clark and the tactics devised by Van Dyke.
Clark took off from well back in the field at the 600 metres to race up to the lead to force the others to try and catch him before going on to narrowly beat the Chris Waller trained Fields of Tuscany.
“I had to go a little earlier than we planned but it all worked out well,” Clark said.
“The tactic was to catch everyone by surprise but if we had stayed back there any longer he would not have won.
“He is a one paced horse and we had to make our move when we did.”
It was a great training effort by Van Dyke to win with the horse at his first start since December and Robinson praised the trainer.
“David puts his heart and soul into his horses which makes for a happy work environment and all the staff appreciate it,” he said.
This was a race which ended being a battle between two horses that were reasonably highly priced yearlings.
Sansui Drawing is owned by Tony Bott and Evergreen Stud and cost $280,000 at the 2011 Easter sale while Fields of Tuscany was passed in for $170,000 at the corresponding sale in 2012.
***
Warwick Farm trainer, Greg Hickman, scored his first winner for Kevin Hill, a new client to his stable, when Bayview Emperor (Sam Clipperton) beat the odds on favourite to win the Wyong Function Centre Three Year Old Maiden (1350m).
Two races later Hickman made it a double when Clipperton adopted a similar riding pattern to win the H and H Catering @ WRC Maiden (1100m) with Bring Me Love.
The Allan Denham trained Chicago (Serg Lisnyy) was sent out favourite for the Wyong Function Centre and ran second but was no match for the winner, beaten three and a quarter lengths.
Hickman praised Clipperton for his ride, sitting three deep despite the small field to allow him to get the final crack at the leaders.
“This horse showed promise at his first start at Canterbury but then started to get nervous so we had to teach him to overcome that,” Hickman said.
“This win will do him the world of good.
“I got two horses from Mr King six months ago so this is a good start.”
Clipperton again sat deep on Bring Me Love, just behind the leader Quelle Beaute (Brodie Loy).
He moved up to edge past the leader when Quelle Beaute started to shorten stride while the Joe Pride trained Eleni Whirl (Jason Collett) ran home strongly to fail by half a head.
Quelle Beautre hung on to finish third, a further one and three quarter lengths away.
At her previous start Bring Me Love ran second over 1200 metres at Nowra after leading and Hickman said it had been a good pointer to this win.
“They ran a class record and my horse found the 1200 metres just a bit too far,” Hickman said.
“She did well through the week and I was happy with her.
“I think the drop back to 1100 metres was a big factor in this win.”
***
A plunge on the Stephen Farley trained first starter Kanguru came badly unstuck when he ran a distant third in the Carlton United Breweries Maiden (1100m).
Kanguru was backed in from $6 to start the $3.60 second favourite on the strength of his three good trials while the winner, the Joe Pride trained Roubaix eased from $1.50 to start the $2.10 favourite.
Kanguru, ridden by Taylor Marshall, travelled easily in front to the turn but Roubaix (Jason Collett) quickly reeled him in then raced away to win by four and a half lengths.
The Evan Holland trained Prince High (Nathan Thomas) made up ground in the straight to run second with Kanguru a further one and three quarter lengths away third.
Pride’s racing manager, Gabrielle Englebrecht, said Roubaix had always shown ability.
“It was good to see a horse go to the line with his ears pricked and obviously enjoying himself,” she said.
“You could see that Jason had a lap full of horse on the turn and had him in a good spot.
“It was a good ride.
“I am not sure where we will go with the horse now but both Joe and I think Roubaix will go on to better things.”
***
Former Darren Smith trained galloper Far Out only arrived at the stables of Anthony Cummings 10 days ago but could not have been more impressive in winning the Prestige Weddings and
Event Hire Maiden (1600m).
Far Out, part owned by Peter Hortwitz, is by Zabeel out of a Carnegie mare and cost $120,000 at the New Zealand Premier Yearling sale in 2012.
Smith was forced to clear out his stable two weeks ago while stewards investigate his alleged use of cobalt.
Far Out was backed late by punters and Tye Angland did not let them down, cutting loose from the 600 metres to circle the field then race away and win by three and a half lengths.
“He is very green but he has a lot of promise,” Angland said.
“After he hit the lead he wanted to look around then in the straight he wobbled around and hit the rail on one occasion.
“Once he learns how to race he will develop into a nice stayer.
“I don’t think 2000 metres would be beyond him, even at this early stage.”
***
The Paul Perry trained Slippery Moss possibly saved himself from the sale ring when he led all the way to win the De Bortoli Wines Class Two (1350m) courtesy of a great ride from Jeff Lloyd.
Lloyd took the four year straight to the lead, dictated terms as he liked, kicked away soon after straightening then held on to just beat the Tamworth trained Strictly Concert (Robert Thompson).
Thompson had Strictly Concert near last to the turn and finished hard down the outside to fail by a nose.
Part owner, Bruce McGilvrary, said one of the other part owners of Slippery Moss had wanted to sell the horse.
“I wasn’t keen but this is his first win since October last year,” he said.
Foreman, Shannon Perry, said the fact that Slippery Moss was by Mossman was a big factor in his favour.
“The breed love wet tracks,” he said.
“It is good to see him back in the winner’s circle and hopefully he will be back there again.”
Lloyd said Slippery Moss has impressed him.
“When I asked him for an effort in the straight he surprised me with the sprint he produced,” Lloyd said.
***
Stewards questioned trainer, John McNair, after Easrstheking (Taylor Marshall) won the WRC Weddings-Party-Corporate Benchmark 60 (1100m).
The win followed his last in a Class Two at Gosford at his previous start but McNair explained that the horse had hit his head on the barriers as he jumped away at Gosford.
He also said that the horse had benefitted today from jumping well and being able to be ridden on the speed and was advantaged by the heavy track.
McNair said Earstheking had recovered well from his Gosford accident and he believed the horse was in today’s race “up to his ears.”
“The conditions suited him and it was a great ride from Taylor,” McNair said.
“I thought from early on that Taylor would develop into a top apprentice and I was right.
“I would compare him to Chad Schofield.”
Review by Grahame Timbrell