Hennessy More Than Half a Chance

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

In form New South Wales trainer Bede Murray is confident the smart Sydneysider Half Hennessy can return to the winner's stall in Saturday's Group One $1 million Carlton Draught Caulfield Guineas.

Half Hennessy ran the fastest final 200 metre sectional of all of the 16 timed runners for this weekend's meeting, even quicker than his Guineas rivals Bel Esprit, Great Glen and Choisir.

All of the Guineas runners worked impressively at the Heath this morning, but Half Hennessy was clearly the star of the morning, coming home his final furlong in 10.96 seconds, nearly half a second quicker than Bel Esprit.

Murray confessed after the stirring gallop that his colt by Hennessy worked more impressively that he had thought he would.

"It was a great gallop," Murray said.

With trackwork rider Owen Davies in the saddle Half Hennessy trotted one lap of the Caulfield track before being asked to quicken on his second lap.

Davies then released the brakes and the gelding gradually increased his speed and at the post he was absolutely flying.

A third placegetter in last Friday night's Group Two Bill Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley, Half Hennessy has disappointed in both his runs in Melbourne, but connections are sure he will be more than competitive on the weekend.

"He has taken a little time to settle in here in Melbourne," Murray said. "And I'm sure he is going to be right there on Saturday."

Murray was critical of Corey Brown's ride aboard the colt last Friday and he also felt roomier tracks could also be a key.

"His best form has come on the bigger tracks like Kembla Grange and Randwick," Murray added. "So I'm sure Caulfield will suit him much better than Moonee Valley."

"Another disappointing thing about his run at Moonee Valley was that he missed the start and had to be ridden further back than we had wanted."

Murray said that barrier fourteen, may in fact help Half Hennessy and not hinder his winning chances.

"I can see lots of speed from the inside with Choisir and Great Glen and on the outside Bel Esprit is going to work across quickly," he predicted. "So we might be able to take up a position just in behind them."

The man who also puts the polish on the Group One winners Universal Prince and Victory Vein felt that the best of Half Hennessy was still to come.

"I'm sure he is going to be a better horse in the autumn," Murray reported.

PIC - Quentin Lang.

Kyneton (Vic)

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

Track: Good
Weather: Overcast
Rail: Out 3m from 1200 metres to turn out of straight

Riding Changes:

Race	Horse	Rider	Replaced By	Reason
2	Annotation	J. Patton	A. Findlay	Delayed
3	Oka	M.Pay	L. Robertson	Unavailable
5	Mesmerize	B. White	N. Wilson	Indisposed
6	Mrs. Hollywood	R. Waymouth	Naomi Parker	Indisposed

Race 1 - Maiden Plate - 1109 metres:

Kelly's Hero was slow to begin. Bognor Regis jumped away awkwardly and lost ground.

Near the 900 metres Kelly's Hero had to be eased off the heels of Maroczy.

In the middle stages of the race My Patch over-raced.

Rounding the home turn Vocabulary was tightened for room when attempting a narrow run on the inside of My Patch, due to My Patch shifting in slightly.

On the home turn Kelly's Hero slipped and almost fell.

Subsequent to the race a delegation of jockeys and Stewards inspected a section of the track between the 400 metres and 200 metres. After some consultation it was agreed that this section of track be aerated and harrowed. Upon another inspection of the track and further consultation, the jockeys approached the Stewards and expressed their doubt as to whether the track was safe for racing and for this reason were not prepared to ride. As a result of this the Stewards cancelled the meeting at 1.40 p.m.

Race 2 - F & M Maiden Plate - 1464 metres:

No report.

Race 3 - The Telegraph Newspaper Maiden Plate - 1868 metres:

No report.

Race 4 - Carlsruhe Roadhouse Class 2 Handicap - 1868 metres:

No Report.

Race 5 - Tooheys New Class 3 Handicap - 1109 metres:

Acting on a confirmed telephone call from Ms. C. Hope representing Mr. L. Hope trainer of Geiger Force, who stated that the mare had injured its near hind leg whilst being placed in the float and was unfit to run, the Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Geiger Force at 11.45 a.m. Mr. Hope did submit a Veterinary Certificate in respect of the mare.

Race 6 - Glen Erin Vineyard Marquee F & M Class 2 Handicap - 1464 metres:

No report.

Race 7 - Kyneton Cup Day Class 6 Handicap - 1868 metres:

No report.

Race 8 - S V 3YO Class 1 Handicap - 1209 metres:

No report.

SWAB SAMPLES:

The following horses were pre-race blood tested for post race analysis - Race 3 -Just Chipper, Witch Willy, Woodstock Inn.

Caulfield Cup Race Down to 44

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

The field for the 2002 Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup was reduced to 44 when Third Declarations were taken today.

Northerly remains at the head of the weights for the race which will be run at Caulfield on October 19.

The field still includes four international entrants - Helene Vitality (NZ), Hatha Anna (IRE), Beekeeper (GB) and Media Puzzle (USA).

Second Declarations were also taken today for the Carlton Draught Cox Plate and Tooheys New Melbourne Cup.

The Cox Plate field has been reduced to 29 including sole international entrant, Grandera (IRE) while 78 horses remain in the running for a place in the Melbourne Cup field.

Topweight Vinnie Roe (IRE) heads the list of eight international entrants still hoping to run on the first Tuesday in November.

Media Release - Racing Victoria

Caulfield Guineas Field and Barrier Draw

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

Bel Esprit's price for Saturday's Group One Caulfield Guineas is expected to lengthen dramatically after he drew terribly for the race this morning.

The Group One $1 million race has attracted a strong line up of sixteen three-year-olds.

FINAL FIELD

01 BEL ESPRIT (John Symons) Damien Oliver (15)
02 CHOISIR (Paul Perry) Glen Boss (2)
03 HALF HENNESSY (Bede Murray) Darren Beadman (14)
04 DELAGO BROM (Tommy Hughes) Steven Arnold (12)
05 GREAT GLEN (Leon Macdonald) Kerrin McEvoy (6)
06 COOL TRENT (Dean Lawson) Brett Prebble (13)
07 TITANIC JACK (Tommy Hughes Jnr) Patrick Payne (4)
08 HELENUS (Leon Corstens) Steven King (7)
09 ROHATYN (Robbie Laing) Noel Callow (10)
10 TYCOON RULER (Jim Marconi) (3)
11 ALL OF ME (Mathew Ellerton) Danny Nikolic (1)
12 KING WELLS (Jim Marconi) (11)
13 C'EST LE REVE (Alan Bailey) (16)
14 ACEE DEECEE (Dean Lawson) Craig Newitt (a) (8)
15 BUNKER (Trevor McKee) Greg Childs (5)
16 GRAND LOVER (Sonja Kumpikas) (9)

Tony McEvoy on Top Again

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

Tony McEvoy topped the Victorian Trainers' List for September but for the second month in a row, only made it on a countback.

McEvoy's eleven winners for the month was equalled by Russell Cameron and David Hall however McEvoy trained more placegetters than his two Flemington-based rivals.

Hall and Cameron both had outstanding strike/rates with Hall leading the Top 20 at 34.4%. Rod Symons (33.3%), Mick Price (29.6%) and Mark Young (28.6%) also had excellent months.

Jim Mason had his best month for the year, jumping almost 370 spots to finish in 13th place with five winners.

Top 20 Trainers on Victorian racetracks - September 2002

Pos	Aug	Trainer	Runners	Wins	2nds	3rds	S/Rate
1	1	Tony McEvoy	61	11	11	8	18.0%
2	10	Russell Cameron	39	11	4	3	28.2%
3	13	David Hall	32	11	3	8	34.4%
4	3	Michael Moroney	68	10	10	7	14.7%
5	24	Lee Freedman	59	10	7	10	16.9%
6	2	Darren Weir	41	9	3	1	22.0%
7	6	Mick Price	27	8	2	3	29.6%
8	9	Brian Mayfield-Smith	30	7	2	4	23.3%
9	28	John Symons	58	6	8	5	10.3%
10	17	Mathew Ellerton	26	6	2	2	23.1%
11	7	Bill Mitchell	41	5	6	4	12.2%
12	8	John Hawkes	40	5	3	5	12.5%
13	380	Jim Mason	20	5	3	3	25.0%
14	69	Nigel Blackiston	20	5	2	1	25.0%
15	121	Rod Symons	15	5	1	2	33.3%
16	75	Robert Smerdon	29	5	0	3	17.2%
17	38	Peter Healey	22	4	5	2	18.2%
18	215	Rick Hore-Lacy	24	4	3	4	16.7%
19	26	Stuart Webb	43	4	2	7	9.3%
20	12	Mark Young	14	4	2	1	28.6%

Media Release - Racing Victoria

International Stars Step Out at Sandown

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

The well credentialled team of international horses stepped out for trackwork at Sandown this morning.

The Godolphin horses headed by the Cox Plate fancy Grandera and the Weld duo, of which Vinnie Roe is the big Cup chance, all looked to have settled in well at their quarantine base.

Another interesting horse to step out was Hatha Anna, who won the Group Two Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington when the all blue colours raced in Australia.

GRANDERA

VINNIE ROE & MEDIA PUZZLE

HATHA ANNA

Jason Finds The Winning Pattern

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

Jason Patton has topped the monthly Victorian Jockeys' List after a career-best performance during September.

Patton rode seventeen winners for the month to upstage four-time Scobie Breasley Medallist Damien Oliver who finished 2nd.

Danny Nikolic and Nash Rawiller shared the best strike/rate (23.1%) of the Top 20 jockeys.

Top 20 Jockeys on Victorian racetracks - September 2002

Pos	Aug	Jockey	Rides	1sts	2nds	3rds	S/Rate
1	23	Jason Patton	81	17	9	7	21.0%
2	7	Damien Oliver	73	15	9	9	20.5%
3	13	Craig Newitt	93	14	12	15	15.1%
4	20	Brad Rawiller	65	13	8	7	20.0%
5	4	Vlad Duric	71	12	8	11	16.9%
6	17	Greg Childs	60	11	13	4	18.3%
7	11	Brett Prebble	76	11	12	13	14.5%
8	37	Lonagan Milham	90	10	10	7	11.1%
9	19	Stephen Baster	96	10	6	11	10.4%
10	36	Steven King	69	9	8	6	13.0%
11	55	Danny Nikolic	39	9	3	5	23.1%
12	9	Kerrin McEvoy	85	8	8	6	9.4%
13	25	Wayne Hokai	45	8	7	1	17.8%
14	3	Vincent Hall	35	8	1	6	22.9%
15	52	Mark Flaherty	47	7	6	9	14.9%
16	6	Andrew Findlay	60	7	5	9	11.7%
17	41	Mark Pegus	38	7	5	5	18.4%
18	18	Matt Pumpa	85	6	10	8	7.1%
19	10	Steven Arnold	44	6	6	3	13.6%
20	2	Nash Rawiller	26	6	5	1	23.1%

PIC - Quentin Lang.

Media Release - Racing Victoria

Rapid Waters Wins Gippslands Horse of the Year

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

The Gippsland Racing Awards were presented at the Power of Racing Gala Ball at Moe on Friday October 4 and Gippsland Horse of the Year was won by Rapid Waters, trained at Traralgon by Bennie Benbow.

Rapid Waters commenced last season eligible for Class One races. The four year-old campaigned from December to May, racking up four wins and four placings in a quality season of just 11 starts.

A runaway four length win in a Traralgon Class Two (1200m) on December 9 influenced trainer Bennie Benbow to step his charge up to city grade 10 days later. A controversial protest relegating Rapid Waters to second after he'd passed the post the winner in a Caulfield midweek Class Six (1200m).

Revenge was sweet a month later when, at just his seventh start, Damien Oliver steered him to victory in a Sandown Class Six (1200m).

Rapid Waters then scored in another Class Six (1200m) at Moonee Valley in February before being freshened and landing the $26,000 first prize in a Caulfield Open Hcp (1200m) over five weeks later.

Rapid Waters ended his season with a second in the Gippsland Sprint Final at Caulfield on May 18. This followed perhaps his best run, a top-class third in the Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington.

The gelding missing a cheque just once for the season and earned $87,250 for connections.

In accepting the award, Benbow thanked the owners for giving him the horse to train and those involved in getting the horse, which he said has the worst feet he’s ever seen, to the track.

Commenting on the uncertain future of racing at Traralgon, Benbow said "we’re fighting hard to get this club back, so tell your friends to support the three meetings this year".

"It’s my livelihood and I hope next year I can be standing here again. I’ve got a lot of good owners and I will lose them if Traralgon falls away – please back us."

Runner-up in the Horse of the Year was Blacktype Magic, trained at Moe by Charlie Gafa.

Blacktype Magic proved to be one of the State's most durable gallopers, fronting the starter on 26 occasions for the season. Amongst his four wins were the Traralgon Cup Prelude (1900m) in November and dual wins over 2000m in Open Handicaps in December at Mornington – a great achievement for a horse who started the season eligible for Class Three.

Tough and honest, Blacktype Magic contested 14 races in Gippsland in 2001-2002, including the Traralgon (4th), Moe and Stony Creek Cups. Placed at Moonee Valley in April, Blacktype Magic returned a stakes cheque on 11 occasions during the season.

Winner of the Gippsland Racing Bonus Series was Boortkoi Mustang, trained at Stony Creek by George Hulls.

Sale based Ian Hutchins and his regular rider, Vlad Duric, scooped the pool, winning the trainer and jockey premierships respectively.

In his relatively short time in training at Sale, Ian has made a significant impact on Gippsland Racing.

Since re-locating from Epsom five years ago, he has won three of his home club’s premierships and tied for the Gippsland Award with Robbie Griffiths two years ago.

Last season Ian trained 18 winners on Gippsland tracks with nine seconds and seven thirds and formed a formidable partnership with this year’s jockey’s premiership winner, Vlad Duric.

"I’ve been lucky to have a good deal of success since I came to Gippsland," said Hutchins, who has also won a Bairnsdale premiership and produced Gippsland horse of the year winner, Fashion Flame.

"When it became clear Epsom was closing, Sale Turf Club secretary, Helen Cantwell, approached me about coming up this way.

"She was definitely the instigator of me coming here and I must say things have worked out really well. Doors have opened since I arrived and there have been plenty of opportunities, particularly in the past six to eight months.

"When I left Melbourne I had about five or six horses and I guess you could say the backside out of my pants. But now I’ve got 18 in work and 17 two year-olds this season with owners from all over Australia."

Ian, who is a great advocate of Gippsland Racing, said he was very pleased he made the move east.

His highlights of the season were two trebles at Sale and the Sale and Bairnsdale premierships.

"Awards like this are not won by individuals, it’s a real team effort and my wife Jan and my staff have been terrific," he said

Vlad Duric had what could only be described as an outstanding year, highlighted by his Moe Cup win on Ascana.

The Cranbourne based jockey, who also won the Sale and Moe premierships, said he loved riding in Gippsland.

"I do a lot of my riding in Gippsland and I want to thank Ian and all the other trainers who have supported me over the past season," he said.

Vlad recorded 33 wins, 32 seconds and 23 thirds for the 2001/2002 season.

The apprentice’s title went to one of the state’s outstanding up and coming talents in Reece Wheeler, who recorded 15 wins, eight seconds and seven thirds in Gippsland last season.

His highlights were winning the Traralgon Cup on Storm Edition, a Sale sprint on the very talented Transparent Lover, the Latrobe City Cup on Fire Starter and the Lakes Entrance Cup at Bairnsdale on Beau Ties, trained by his father.

Reece said he likes coming to Gippsland because it is an area where he is well supported and has had a great deal of success.

"I ride for Tony Noonan and he takes a lot of horses to Gippsland, but there were plenty of others who supported me. I’ve been lucky to have a good deal of success there," he said.

Media Release - Tim Bull (Gippsland Racing)

Breakfast With The Stars - Gallop Times

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

Caulfield Racecourse hosted the Carlton Draught Breakfast with the Stars this morning.

A few of the later gallops were unable to be timed during showers of rain.

The following times are believed official and have been provided by the Melbourne Racing Club.

Horse	Trainer	600-400	400-200	200-WP
Choisir	Paul Perry	14.39	12.73	11.75
Chester County	Paul Perry	13.75	12.25	11.43
Bel Esprit	John Symons	13.42	11.67	11.37
Macedon Lady	John Symons	13.44	11.68	11.46
True Glo	Lee Freedman	15.42	12.93	12.04
Bush Padre	Lee Freedman	14.28	11.96	11.62
Manang	Lee Freedman	14.51	12.63	12.54
Great Glen	Leon Macdonald	12.96	11.76	11.53
Blur	Colin Little	13.72	12.02	12.39
Toast of the Coast	Tony Vasil	14.27	12.09	11.10
Tully Thunder	Ross McDonald	14.46	12.20	11.69
Half Hennessy	Bede Murray	15.05	12.07	10.96
The A Train	Cliff Brown	14.48	12.59	12.58
Weasel Will	Nigel Blackiston	13.85	12.21	11.78
C'est Le Reve	Alan Bailey	14.47	12.07	11.59
Stormy's Son	Lou Luciani	14.00	12.12	12.46

Cox Plate Second Acceptances

Tuesday, 08 October 2002 00:00

 

1	ASSERTIVE LAD 5G (Gai Waterhouse)	58
2	DEFIER 5G (Guy Walter)	58
3	FIELDS OF OMAGH 5G (Tony McEvoy)	58
4	GRANDERA (IRE) 5H (Saeed Bin Suroor)	58
5	NORTHERLY 6G (Fred Kersley)	58
6	RAIN GAUGE 5H (George Hanlon)	58
7	SCENIC PEAK 5G (Danny J Bougoure)	58
8	SHOT OF THUNDER 5H (John O'Shea)	58
9	SOCIETY BEAU (NZ) 5G (Mark Walker)	58
10	UNIVERSAL PRINCE 5H (Bede Murray)	58
11	DASH FOR CASH 4H (Rick Hore-Lacy)	56.5
12	LONHRO 4H (John Hawkes)	56.5
13	ROYAL CODE 4H (David Hall)	56.5
14	USTINOV 4H (Bart Cummings)	56.5
15	GENTLE GENIUS 5M (Tony Wildman)	55.5
16	HOEBERG (NZ) 5M (David Payne)	55.5
17	LA BELLA DAMA (NZ) 5M (Graeme Rogerson)	55.5
18	PERNOD (NZ) 5M (Michael Moroney)	55.5
19	SUNLINE (NZ) 7M (Trevor McKee)	55.5
20	ELEGANT FASHION 4M (Tony McEvoy)	54
21	MAGICAL MISS 4M (Bart Cummings)	54
22	REPUBLIC LASS 4M (Guy Walter)	54
23	BEL ESPRIT 3C (John Symons)	48.5
24	COOL TRENT 3C (Dean Lawson)	48.5
25	DELAGO BROM 3C (Tommy Hughes)	48.5
26	HALF HENNESSY 3C (Bede Murray)	48.5
27	MASKERADO (NZ) 3C (Graeme Rogerson)	48.5
28	LASHED 3F (Graeme Rogerson)	46
29	VICTORY VEIN 3F (Bede Murray)	46

Media Release - Racing Victoria