Berlioz Brings Flemington Plunge Undone

Saturday, 07 August 2010 04:52

In terms of upsets they don't come much bigger than Berlioz's win in the $75,000 David Rosenquist & Rosemary Shimmin Handicap (1700m) at Flemington today.

Whether you consider that Berlioz has been beaten a combined margin of almost two hundred lengths in his last five starts, or that a betting plunge saw the Smerdon trained Only He Knows shorten from nines to fives, it was an upset no matter how you looked at it.

Berlioz ($101,$151) was settled next to last by Dean Yendall who was happy to let others make their runs before working into the race two furlongs from home.

Only He Knows ($9,$5) looked the winner after fighting off a challenge by Pinnacles ($2.80,$3.50,$3.20) but went down a head as Berlioz stormed down the outside to score with Pinnacles finishing a further length away.

Trainer David Hayes was thrilled with the win admitting he was expecting the five-year-old to improve on the going but not win.

"We were a bit surprised that he won at this distance on this sort of track," said Hayes.

"I was only hoping to pass three or four in the straight but to get up and win I'm just thrilled.

"The track conditions might've been wet but they were better than some of the sloppy courses he has been around lately."

Hayes highlighted that the Zabeel gelding had always shown the ability but had just been out of sorts, mostly due to track conditions, and is still aiming for the Spring staying features.

"He is a St Ledger winner though and was only beaten a short half head in a Perth Derby," said Hayes.

"He is entered in everything so you never know, he could be a genuine type that pops up in a Metropolitan."

Yendall observed the track conditions as a big part of Berlioz's form turnaround.

He really appreciated the firmer going today

"I let a couple make their runs at the 600m and just eased out and tracked them into the straight," said Yendall.

"When I let him down he found the line and found it hard, hitting the line like a six to four favourite."

Berlioz has now won almost $300,000 in prizemoney from just three career wins.

Photo by Fiona Tomlin

Saturday's Flemington Selections

Friday, 06 August 2010 08:48

Below are the tips of Virtual Formguide journalists Grayson White and Carl Di Iorio for Saturday's meeting at Flemington.

Flemington

Track Details

	Out 9m entire circuit
	Slow (7) Penetrometer: 5.00

Tipster Poll

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Lorna's Big Shoes To Fill

Saturday, 07 August 2010 04:15

Lorna's Lass has similar markings and is owned in similar interests to VRC Oaks winner Hollow Bullet and trainer John McArdle said he hoped she turned out half as good as that filly after she won at Flemington.

Despite the Bianconi filly leading all the way to win a 1406m Sale two-year-old maiden at her previous start late last month, McArdle admitted it was a pleasant surprise when she got up for a narrow victory in the Gail Jackson and Rosemary Keogh Hcp (1410m) on Saturday.

"It was a big shock," McArdle said.

"I galloped her on Tuesday morning and she galloped well and then on Wednesday she worked off the pony and she wasn't as fiery as she normally is so I was a little bit soft on her.

"But coming here today she went off her head and I thought 'I've left her too fresh, she's going to bolt'.

"But she came out of the gates and as soon as Chris (Symons) said whoa she stopped and settled.

"I thought they'd gone a little bit too slow because she's a staying filly and I was a little bit worried about the turn of foot the others might have, but she toughed it out well."

Backed from $12 to $10, Lorna's Lass, who took plenty of persuading before Symons was able to get her into the barrier, came from fourth in the small field of seven and held out Placement ($7) by a half-head with Invincible You ($13) 2-1/4 lengths away third.

"She's a nice filly, she's got some upside so hopefully she'll get further," McArdle said.

"Hollow Bullet was black with a white face too so hopefully this one's half as good.

"I don't know if she's a VRC Oaks-type filly but we'll just keep on stepping her up and while she answers the questions we'll keep going."

Hollow Bullet won six races including the 2004 VRC Oaks and the 2005 Arrowfield Stud Stakes, both at Group One level.

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Special Cup Price About Shocking

Friday, 06 August 2010 07:45

Punters have been given the opportunity to back Shocking at inflated odds to make it back-to-back Melbourne Cups in the 150th running of the great race.

In a special promotion on Saturday from 11am (AEST), TAB Sportsbet will offer punters $35, more than double the price about the Mark Kavanagh-trained stayer to win the 2010 Cup.

The offer will be available until a liability of $1 million, or midnight on Saturday, is reached.

Only bets placed in the "Melbourne Cup Special" market using the TAB Sportsbet Number 80001 are open to the offer.

When markets opened at midday on Thursday the Gai Waterhouse-trained Herculian Prince was well backed in the Cups and Cox Plate.

The five-year-old is most fancied in the Melbourne Cup, attracting a bet of $5,000 at $21.

Shocking is at $14 in TAB Sportsbet's Cup market.

Temperamental Lass Wins At Flemington

Saturday, 07 August 2010 03:34

Lorna’s Lass made it two wins on the trot after winning the $75,000 Gail Jackson & Rosemary Keogh Handicap (1410m) for three-year-olds fillies at Flemington on Saturday.

Winning last start at Sale, Lorna’s Lass settled in a midfield position before Chris Symons brought his mount out three wide on the home turn with Placement following suit out deeper off the track.

Both runners finished with gusto down the outside with Lorna’s Lass holding sway on the line.

Lorna’s Lass ($10-$12-$10) defeated Placement ($6-$7) by a half head with Invincible You ($12-$13) a further 2-1/4 lengths away in third.

“She settled okay, I would have liked for her to come underneath me a little bit more but it was a slow tempo,” Symons said.

“She really benefited from today’s run getting cover with something to chase.”

Dutchy’s Lass ($4.60-$5) weakened over the final furlong to finish fourth while Bella’s Cry ($11-$13-$12) battled away behind them for fifth.

Favourites Trisara ($2.70-$2.60-$3.50 fav) and Zoomania ($4.20-$5) were most disappointing finishing second last and last respectively after enjoying ideal runs in transit.

Winning trainer John McArdle revealed post-race that he almost had conceded defeat before the barriers had opened.

“It was a big shock that she settled because I galloped her on Tuesday morning and then on Wednesday I worked her off the pony and she wasn’t as fiery as she normally was so I was a little bit quiet on her coming into today,” McArdle said.

“She then came here today and went off her head so I thought ‘look out, I’ve left her too fresh and she’s just going to bolt’.

“She came out and as soon as Chris said woo, she stopped.

“I thought they were going too slow as she is a staying bred filly and I was a bit worried about the turn of foot others might have but she toughed it out well,” he added.

McArdle hopes today’s victory might be the turning point in her career.

“She’s a nice filly with upside, hopefully she’ll get further.”

“I don’t know if she’s a VRC Oaks type of filly but we’ll keep on stepping her up and so long as she keeps answering the questions, we’ll keep going.”

By Bianconi, Lorna’s Lass is a full-sister to Mega Star Milly who has won two races – between 1500 and 1600 metres - from 17 starts with prizemoney hovering around the $50,000 mark.

Lorna’s Lass has won two races from five starts to accumulate $85,150 in prizemoney.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Prebble To Ride Crystal Lily In Quezette

Friday, 06 August 2010 07:15

Golden Slipper Stakes winner Crystal Lily pleased connections in a jumpout at Flemington on Friday when ridden by Brett Prebble who confirmed he would be on the filly first-up in Saturday week's Quezette Stakes at Caulfield.

Prebble, who is taking a break in Melbourne after finishing second to Douglas Whyte in the Hong Kong jockeys' premiership, held the Stratum filly together on a wet track, sharing the lead early before she won the 800m trial in the quickest time of the morning.

The jumpout was her second in preparation for the Quezette (1100m) and she impressed co-trainer Simon Zahra.

"She trialled really well, she did everything we asked her to do," Zahra said.

"We just held her together as we had a bit of rain earlier in the morning and with the track being wet you don't want to get them off the bit and do too much with them.

"She's come through it really well so it's all systems go for next week.

"We're happy with the way she's come back and hopefully she can progress on what she did in the autumn."

Prebble is unbeaten on Crystal Lily in two race rides on her including her Golden Slipper victory over Decision Time, More Strawberries and Hinchinbrook at Rosehill at her latest start on April 3.

Zahra and co-trainer Mat Ellerton have nominated Crystal Lily for both the $1 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 9 and the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield four days later.

The filly has raced seven times, winning four of her last five outings and earning just short of $2.3 million in prizemoney.

Picture: Sportpix

Noonan And Noonan Strike Again

Saturday, 07 August 2010 03:28

Father son combination Tony and Jake Noonan struck again at Flemington this afternoon when Whiston gained an inside run to win the Warren Lee & Kenneth Norton Handicap.

Bursting through on the rails, Whiston ($7.00-$8.50) won by a neck from Devils Force ($6.00-$8.50) with a length to third placed Two Hills ($7.00-$9.00). Favourite Perturbo ($5.00-$5.50-$4.60) was checked at the start and never got going before finishing eighth.

Rider Jake Noonan had several choices during the race as to which run to take and guessed correctly each time to get an uninterrupted run and win.

"Me and Dad spoke before the race", he explained.

"It was always going to pan out that way from that gate and we were always going to need a bit of luck."

"I knew if we did get held up he's got a turn of foot but I had to keep my eyes open in all directions and just hope for the runs."

"It panned out perfectly. The gaps that I was taking the horses were dropping off at just the right times."

"I was lucky enough to choose the right runs."

"He would have been in trouble if he'd made the wrong one", said Tony Noonan, clearly delighted with how well his son is riding.

"It was a really good ride. His confidence is sky high right now."

"The table tennis ball looks like a beach ball for him at the moment."

Whiston was Jake Noonan's second winner for the day after winning the previous race aboard Censor for Lee Freedman.

On his father's advice Noonan had decided before the race to hold up Whiston for a late run to take advantage of his short, sharp sprint.

"I think that's the way you've got to ride him", he said.

"Ben Melham did it perfectly two starts back when he waited and waited."

"That's a bit my style", Noonan said.

"I like to ride a bit patient."

Whiston is coming to the end of a very successful preparation which has seen him win four races from seven starts.

"He's done a super job", Tony Noonan said.

"This is about his seventh or eighth run this prep and he's stood up well and is racing great heart."

Noonan credits his farrier for Whiston's good form.

"He hasn't got the best of feet and its been a constant worry."

"My farrier Ray Iles has done a tremendous job with him."

"We've had to space his runs because most of the time he's been in pain."

"He's done a super job getting his feet right."

Whiston's owners have had horses in the Noonan stable for many years, originally racing Piavonic the winner of the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.

"John and Vernon have bred some really nice horses and this is another one", Tony Noonan said.

Photos: Fiona Tomlin

Williams Ups The Ante With Uxorious

Friday, 06 August 2010 06:15

Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams has thrown lightly-raced five-year-old Uxorious in at the deep end by running him in the Group Three Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington.

Williams was going to run Uxorious in a restricted event at Sandown next Wednesday but when that meeting was transferred to the Geelong synthetic track he decided to take the plunge and start the Choisir gelding in Saturday's $150,000 1200m feature.

Uxorious won his first three starts at Warrnambool, Ballarat and Sandown, all over 1200m, before going down by just a half-head to Papercut over 1100m on a heavy track on his home track at the May carnival and hasn't raced since.

Williams said he was happy for Uxorious to run at Flemington on what on Friday was rated a slow (7) track.

"He'd always shown a bit of ability but he had chips taken out of his knee as a three-year-old and he came to us after that," the trainer said of Uxorious who was originally with leading trainer Peter Moody but didn't race for him.

"In the long run a bit of time has done him the world of good. He's a lovely, big, strong horse now and apart from the knee he's very sound and he's had three trials this time around."

While Uxorious has led in each of his four starts, Williams said he would be ridden more quietly on Saturday.

"Last time around it was a bit of a worry the way he was wanting to charge into the bridle but Sebastian Murphy has done some work with him at the trials and he's settling off the speed now and that's how we hope to ride him tomorrow," he said.

Nick Hall will ride Uxorious for the first time on Saturday and the gelding will race with a norton bit on.

Meanwhile, Moody indicated that Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Headway would take her place provided the track was not too rain-affected.

"I'd probably be happy to run her today. It just depends on what happens overnight," said Moody who will talk to owner Tony Santic before confirming a start.

"If the track is slow she'll probably take her place.

"She's fit and well and forward enough for it but I just didn't want her to have a gut-busting run on a heavy 9 or 10 to give her an excuse to not perform down the track."

Headway, runner-up in the 2009 Golden Slipper on a heavy track, is the class runner of the field.

Moody said she was not at her best last autumn but she was still quite competitive at the elite level when fifth in the Lightning Stakes, seventh in the Oakleigh Plate and sixth in the Newmarket Handicap.

With Luke Nolen in England for the Shergar Cup international jockeys' challenge at Ascot, Damien Oliver will ride the Charge Forward four-year-old who is $3.70 favourite with TAB Sportsbet.

Uxorious is at $15.

Noonan Censored At Flemington

Saturday, 07 August 2010 02:58

The bar may be rising but you wouldn't know it with Censor scoring his first Saturday city win in the $70,000 Pauline Fogarty & Kennith Bird Handicap (1410m) to remain unbeaten after three runs.

Censor ($2.20,$2.50,$2.45) jumped well and in-form apprentice Jake Noonan gave the favourite every chance lobbing outside the leader and having a trouble free run throughout.

Noonan balanced Censor up and the three-year-old showed a nice turn of foot booting clear to score by more than a length from Sayhailmary ($5.50,$6.50) with a similar margin to Retrieve ($4,$4.80).

Steve McGee, stable foreman for Lee Freedman, was full of praise for the son of Elusive Quality who continues to measure up to his challenges.

"Three goes for three wins and he just seems to get better and better," said McGee.

"Jake rode him a treat and as soon as he popped him outside the leader I think the race was over."

McGee believes Censor's racing style should hold him in good stead if he is to step out to the mile this preparation.

"The way he races he might get a trip, so onwards and upwards," McGee added.

Noonan acknowledged that the race played out perfectly for Censor but admitted being anxious when the colt hit a flat spot turning for home.

"The raced panned out perfectly," said Noonan.

"I wanted something to follow and the tempo suited him so we had no excuses."

"Turning for home he actually came off the bit though and it took him a while to extend, but once he did he flattened out well and showed a good turn of foot."

Remaining unbeaten Censor took his career earnings to almost $70,000.

Photo by Fiona Tomlin.

Testaguy On Country Cups Trail

Friday, 06 August 2010 05:45

Trainer Steve Richards is looking towards the country Cups with Testaguy who is on trial at 2000 metres at Flemington on Saturday.

The five-year-old has been unlucky at his last two runs at Flemington and Morphettville and is looking to round out his winter campaign with an overdue win in the Roland Walker and David Webb Handicap (2000m).

"He is slowly getting there and it looks a perfect race for him," Richards said.

"This will probably be his last run this campaign as I'm not really sure about him on wet tracks.

"He gets through them but I think he is far better on top of the ground."

Testaguy's last win was a barnstorming performance at Bendigo last September when he ran a tick over 1:35 on firm going in the Golden Mile (1600m).

He has finished second at his last two runs but with luck could easily have added to his three wins in 12 starts.

He struck interference when second to Riceman over 1630 metres at Flemington on heavy ground on June 26 and last start his saddle slipped and he had an interrupted run when second to in-form galloper Billy The Brat over 1800 metres at Morphettville.

"We took him to Adelaide thinking we could give him a `kill' over there and come back here for this race," Richards said.

"It gave him a trip away and did him the world of good."

Richards said a late spring campaign geared towards the country Cups was planned for Testaguy if he showed he could stay.

"We will bring him back when the tracks are good and if he shows he can run a strong 2000 metres on Saturday then the Ballarat Cup over 2200 metres in November would not be beyond him," Richards said.