Sconeraceclub.com.au

Racing Wrap at Scone 24 Feb 2014
By Grahame Timbrell 25 February, 2014

Any doubts about whether Pompidou had matured as a race horse were dispelled
when the Greg Bennett trained mare overcame difficulties to win the HTBA Protect
Our Industry Benchmark 60 (1300m) at Scone last Monday.
Pompidou, ridden by Robert Thompson, dropped out to second last early then was caught up on the fence turning for home and in the early part of the straight. Apprentice Courtney Van Der Werf on Slipstreams moved up on the outside of Pompidou soon after straightening and held Thompson in a pocket for a short time. However Slipstreams then started to feel the pinch, dropped back and Thompson was able to get clear. Once he did so Pompidou quickly gathered in the leaders to win, running away, by a length from Gokstad. “This mare had really matured,” Bennett said. “There was a time when she would have been too timid to go through that gap. “It’s a pity she is not a bit bigger and heavier but we have had a lot of fun with her and while she is no super star she will go through her grades. “When I saw the trouble Robbie was in I thought it was a case of dega vu.” Bennett was referring to her previous fourth at Newcastle when Thompson got blocked for a run. Thompson said he had never been worried, even when in the pocket. “She was going better than anything and it was a matter of just having to wait a bit longer,” Thompson said. Scone farrier, Rick Lowick, set aside his shoeing tools and took up his breeding hat to watch the Jan Bowen trained Anastasia Winni (Jeff Penza) power home to win the Benfica @ Darley Maiden (900m). Lowick, when not shoeing for a number of trainers including Bowen’s as well as several farms, has dabbled in breeding for the commercial market for some time but elected to keep this filly. “She was only small as a yearling so there was no point sending her to the sales,” he said. Bowen said Anastasia Winni had always shown ability but admitted she probably made a mistake by sending her to Gosford for her first run, where she finished ninth. “She got squeezed out just after the start and did not handle the tight track,” Bowen said. “On that effort she will be going back to the provincials but to one of the big tracks.” Penza had the filly, unwanted in betting at $26, well back early but she finished hard to win by three quarters of a length from the Greg Bennett trained first starter Lullaby Baby. Trainers and jockeys again praised the racing surface that saw two class records broken another winner come within a fraction of a second of a class record. The Allan Denham trained Brookvale showed his appreciation of the big Scone track when he came from last to win the Kia Ora Stud Maiden (1400m) for Robert Thompson. Brookvale dwelt slightly at the start and was last early before settling in second last place. Thompson started to edge forward along the rails then went to the centre of the track on straightening and came away to win by one and three quarter lengths. Impressive looking three year old Yasstar added to his credentials with an effortless win in the More Than Ready Class Two (1400m). Chris O’Brien let the Albert Stapleford trained chestnut settle in second last place early behind a moderate speed then flew home to run his last 600 metres in 33.94 seconds. “He is a very promising horse and that was an impressive win in a slowly run race,” Stapleford’s foreman and son-in-law, Warren Gavenlock, said. “Imagine what he will do when the speed is one and he can settle properly. “He is going to be a very exciting four year old.” Yasstar was bred and is raced by Stapleford’s brother Peter and his wife Jan and nephews Robert and John. Tamworth trainer, Leon Davies, will push ahead with plans to target the $100,000 Wellington Boot next month with Crooked Blaze despite the two year old running fifth against older horses. Jockey Andrew Gibbons was forced to take up the role of pacemaker when nothing else wanted to lead in the Coolmore Home Of Champions Class One (1100m) and Davies believes that contributed to his undoing. “I know he has led in his other races but I think he is a better horse when allowed to come from behind,” Davies said. “Hopefully they will go will go at a hundred miles an hour in the Boot and he will be able to get a sit. “Crooked Blaze will not have another run before the Boot. “Going to the Boot depends, of course, on how he pulls up after this run.” The race was won by the Brett Thompson trained Iwilldoit, ridden to perfection by Kody Nestor. “We knew they had a big wrap on the two year old and that he would probably lead and the plan was to sit just off him,” Thompson said. That is exactly how Nestor rode Iwilldoit and he strode up to take the lead from Crooked Blaze at the 300 metres then held off Prince Rahy to win by three quarters of a length. The Kris Lees trained Offairo smashed the class record in leading all the way to win the Hit The Ground Running With Arrowfield Three Year Old Maiden (1200m). Offairo, ridden by Andrew Gibbons, dictated terms as he liked to win in 1min 11.61secs, taking more than two seconds off the old class record set by The Look in February last year on a slow track. Mal Ollerton, the foreman for Lees, said Australian Bloodstock had bought the son of O’Reilly at a ready to run sale in New Zealand. “When he first came us, as a colt, he showed loads of potential but then seemed to lose his way and became hard to handle,” Ollerton said. “They got him gelded and it switched him back on again. The stable led in a double when Parraay (Shane Arnold) came from second last to win the Cressfield Class One (1100m). That was the fillies second win from her only two starts after winning her maiden, on debut, at Newcastle on February 8. The double was tempered for the stable when the Lees trained Intercites collapsed and died in the parade yard after finishing 11th, as favourite, in the first race, the Benfica @ Darley Maiden. The win of the day belonged the Shatavari, trained at Mudgee by Cameron Crockett. The mare, ridden by Kassie Furness, came from second last and made up atleast a dozen lengths in the straight to catch Stratospheric wide out on the line and win by a long head in 51.91 seconds, a tenth of a second outside the class record. Shatavari is now unbeaten in three starts, two at Dubbo and now Scone.

Source: http://www.sconeraceclub.com.au/SiteFiles/sconeraceclubcomau/Racing_Wrap_at_Scone_24_Feb_2014.pdf