Mid-week Racing 

CASEY DELIVERS ON A GHOSTLY GREY

In a day dominated by some of the big names of racing it was the baby-faced apprentice, Jake Casey, who delivered the ride-of- the- day for trainer Neville Parnham, at Belmont, on July 22.

Aboard Military Service, Casey gave the ghostly grey every chance, followed Parnhams instructions to the letter to be “off the main speed and off the fence.” From midfield, in the 2200m race, he powered home to win going away with daylight between him and runner-up, Our Mate Al (Jason Whiting), on the post.

It was Military Service’s fourth win from 28 starts.

“He hasn’t had a lot of luck in recent starts and has been caught up in traffic but Jake presented him nicely for his run from the 250m mark.”

Indeed Casey did just that, easing out for a clear passage at the top of the straight and that is where he thought he had it won. “He let down nicely and gave me a good ride home,” the apprentice said.

The day got better for the veteran trainer, who will be runner-up to Adam Durrant in the trainers premiership for 2014/15, when Phantom Choice (Natasha Faithfull) gave Parnham another one and half length victory, this time in the eighth race, the Channel 9 Handicap (1400m). She Rules All (Jordan Turner) was second while Casey finished third on another Parnham galloper, Star Bay. Casey also finished third , for Parnham on Vonus behind Profit Street ( William Pike), in the seventh race.

Pike had a brilliant day, giving everyone a reminder of why he is romping home with the senior rider premiership, despite having just resumed riding, after a three month lay-off from injury.

Profit Street is trained by Matt and Peter Giadresco but earlier in the day Pike was successful for trainer Grant Williams with Universal Law and Galaxy Son, respectively.

In the familiar cerise and white colours of owners Bob and Sandra Peters, watching Pike is reminiscent of waiting for a white pointer to pounce on a school of fish-there is an air of inevitability about the process.

Yet, in the first race it was really only in the last 100m of the race that debutante, Universal Law, looked like winning. He certainly did not look a winner on the turn but, being a half brother to the classy filly Delicacy, his finishing touch may be a sign of things to come.

He was too strong for Détente and Sporting Image over the concluding stages.

Peters confirmed the two year old would be going out for a spell after his only race this campaign.

As for Galaxy Son, he appreciated coming back to 1700m after running fourth, over 2200m last start, behind Tuscan Reign, on July 8. Having won over 1600m, at Northam, before that the connections have learned the lesson on distance.

Galaxy Son only just nailed Street Bandit (Lucy Warwick) and both came from near the rear with a sustained burst.

Street Bandit has now run 12 seconds for the Oz Racing syndicate (plus nine thirds) but remains winless. It remains a challenge for trainer Neville Parnham to get this horse to believe he can win.

Trainer Paul Jordan has been winning trials galore but winning races has eluded him since Coruscation’s win on April 11.

However, apprentice Jordan Turner gave the experienced trainer a win in the last race with the aptly named, Believe You Can, in the Christmas in July Handicap (1300m).

Turner prevented a fourth Pike victory with the champion rider, on Boy Byrnes, beaten into second position by short neck.

The old adage about no show without Punch holds good with the Noske siblings: Jarrad and Jerry.

In recent weeks Jerry has ridden an early winner  and then her older brother Jarrad responds, often winning the main race as he did with Fuchsia Bandana in the Hyperion and Strickland Stakes.

The pair were at it again, at this mid-week Belmont meeting, with Forbidden Planet, trained by Ben Pearce and the Alan Mathews trained Nullaki providing the backdrop for sibling rivalry continuing.

Jerry won a ‘squeaker’ on Forbidden Planet, after seemingly looking doomed in the last 150m against Krypto Kid (Kate Fitzgerald). However the latter just peaked on the run and Noske’s mount, on the inside, fought back to score narrowly.

Jarrad’s margin –a half length, was a little more comfortable.

Joe Azzopardi, a certain runner-up to Lucy Warwick in the apprentices premiership, gave his backers an easy winner on the day, aboard Simon Miller’s  Bache, with the hapless Kate Fitzgerald again playing second fiddle on Dexterous Lad, in consecutive races.

Stewards Inquiry

CARBERY CLEARED BY STIPES 

Stipendiary Stewards cleared Pat Carbery of everything but poor judgment when riding Ship Rock at Belmont on June 3, 2015.

The stewards panel, headed by Deputy Chief Steward, Harold Taylor, with Rick Mance and Martin Vickers, announced their decision at Ascot, on July 3, after a series of meetings, investigating the matter.

Carbery was charged under the Australian Rules of Racing 135 (b) which reads:  The rider of every horse shall take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that his horse is given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the field.

Stewards alleged that Carbery, aboard Ship Rock, in the third race of the day over 2100m, had failed to meet those provisions between the 400m -300m mark of the race.

Stewards felt Carbery should have directed his horse to the inside rather than the outside when making his run. For most of the race the grey galloper had been in fifth position on the rails.

Stewards felt that with the pacemaker, Bolting, laying outwards there was a corridor of opportunity for Carbery to continue along the rails with an unimpeded run. By continuing to stride forward onto the heels of Bolting this took away this option, resulting in Ship Rock being blocked for a run the entire length of the home straight.

Carbery, in defence, was not convinced that Bolting was laying out, and that there was as much an opportunity on the outside of that horse as on the inside. Carbery further argued he could not be held accountable for Ellie Cockram’s riding (on Our Motown) to shift in and close the run that he anticipated would eventuate.

When that happened it was neither practical, nor safe to attempt to ease across heels to the inside. Carbery said his pre-race riding instructions were to ‘get out and into the clear’ at the stage he in fact implemented those instructions.

Carbery cited Browne’s case comments of Judge Lewis in a Victorian racing appeal case. The judge stated : “The onus is on stewards to prove the appellant has been in breach of the rule’ and that ‘the onus always remains with the stewards.”

Mr Taylor, continuing, acknowledged the jockey’s comments, saying in Briginshaw v Briginshaw, “a mere error is not a sufficient basis for finding a rule has been breached. The rider’s conduct must be culpable, in the sense that, objectively judged, it is found to be blameworthy.”

Summing up, Mr Taylor said it was this that the stewards had to deliberate on.

“ We are unanimous that by all of the evidence given by you (Carbery), at this hearing, that this was an error of judgment and that given all of the circumstances….falls short of you being culpable and therefore we accept your plea of not guilty and find you not guilty of the charge.”  

 Stewards Inquiry

OFF THE HOOK FOR FISH

Senior Jockey Jason Whiting escaped with a reprimand from stewards following an inquiry into his performance on Bravo Romeo, at Belmont on June 13.

In that race the Paula Wagg trained galloper finished 10^th behind form galloper Savanarola.

Resuming at Ascot, on June 29th, Stewards said they had investigated betting transactions and were satisfied that following an investigation into a UK internet bettor, whose account history followed a regular pattern of backing horses not to run a place, there were no irregularities.

The reason for this investigation was because Bravo Romeo was $12 for a win and was paying a generous $7.20 for a place. Stewards also looked at local betting on Bravo Romeo and were satisfied that the galloper had been supported by the connections.

Chief Steward, Brad Lewis, then pressed Whiting on why he had stayed on the heels of the horse in front of him instead of switching to the inside of Jarrad Noske’s horse, Friarpak, earlier.

Under Australian Rules of Racing 135(b) a rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure that his horse is given all possible chances to win or obtain the best possible place.

Whiting said he did not wait too long as Noske’s mount rolled back in “and made it tight and I didn’t think there was an opportunity on the inside.”

Steward Paul Criddle asked Ms Wagg, as the trainer what her instructions were to Whiting. “As an ex-jockey I do not give many to my riders. Essentially, in running, I wanted Bravo Romeo neither too close to the lead or too far back. It was his first time over this ground (2000m). I also told Jason he sometimes rolls in.”

Wagg said she didn’t expect him to win but anticipated he would run a place.

The Chief Steward continued to press Whiting on why it took 12 strides for the jockey to move Bravo Romeo through the gap presented between Paseo Del Prado and Friarpak.

Paula Wagg, interjecting, said with hindsight that maybe the jockey took too long, “but that happens all the time in races.”

Whiting, who was riding Bravo Romeo for the first time, replied that it was not always easy to balance a horse and to get momentum going. “The horse was not quick enough to get up there and it is not always easy to change direction- a lot of horses can’t do that.”

Paul Criddle asked whether Whiting was unaware of the inside run presented when Peter Hall, on Raising Dubai, shifted to the outside.

Whiting replied: “It took a couple of strides and then I shifted but it took the horse a while to get up momentum. I thought Peter would take it. If you look at his recent form he loves the inside run.”

Wagg: “Jason thought they weren’t going to move.”

Lewis: “We are talking about a fair period of time.”

After deliberating the Chief Steward summed up that during the race Whiting had followed behind Hall’s mount, until he moved out at the 600m mark, then later behind Noske’s horse from the 300m mark, before moving inwards in the home straight.

Mr Lewis said the stewards had to decide whether that move was delayed excessively.

Essentially for some 12 strides Whiting did not take advantage of a gap that had appeared for him. For the first six of those strides stewards accepted he was too close to heels to change direction but argued that he was slow making the change of line thereafter, something the jockey defended.

The Chief Steward told Whiting that although there was an error of judgment on his part it was not to the extent that warranted a penalty under ARR 135(b).

 “However, we expect a higher quality from you in future,” Mr Lewis concluded.

Racing News

Renee Forrest Transfers

Apprentice jockey Renee Forrest has transferred to Simon Miller in the last weeks of her apprenticeship.

Forrest parted company with David Harrison, amicably, and will become a fully fledged jockey on August 1.

“David and Jenny were like family to me and I have enjoyed my association with them over the last six years,”Forrest said.

Forrest made the move to be more available to other trainers for trackwork as Harrison has his own private track at Serpentine and his horses do not need to come to Ascot and Belmont for work.

She will still be riding for her old master in the future and is excited at new prospects with Miller.

Miller said, “Renee has a great work ethic and I will try to give her rides in the remainder of her apprenticeship and beyond.”

Forrest is currently a 2kg claiming apprentice and has ridden 31 winners in the 2014/15 season at metropolitan and provincial racecourses.

Overall she had 120 winners in her 1936 career rides.

Humour of Racing

NEW TRICKS COMES TO BELMONT

 

Before the first race at Belmont on Wednesday June 17 I thought Lucy Warwick and Ryan Hill were auditioning for the show New Tricks.

If you are not familiar with the BBC show, shown on the ABC, it involves veteran police officers of UCOS (Unsolved Crimes and Open Case Squad) investigating cases that have long gone cold.

Most of the squad are old ‘plods’ put back into work.

So why do I think young riders like Lucy and Ryan qualify for such a role.

Well, for starters while Lucy is clearly going to win the Apprentice Jockey premiership, in her first full year, she is dead slow when it comes to mounting up!

Believe me, while she is great in the saddle she gets run off her legs when the pace goes on in the mounting yard.

Please explain? I hear you say, in the best traditions of Pauline Hanson.

Lucy was on Foxinator in the first race (sixth) and obviously the galloper thought she was too slow mounting and he decided it was time to get on the track. With Lucy running alongside she just couldn’t ‘go the pace, early,’ and Foxinator was brought back to her by a very smart strapper who I am going to keep my eyes on.

As for Ryan he decided to go one better, emulating Hopalong Cassidy (aka William Boyd) the famous black clad fictional cowboy of film and TV.

With trainer Vern Brockman bent over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, trying to leg Ryan up, on The Girl of Vasse, this too became a Hill too far! (Sorry, the Devil made me write that pun).

The filly had unbalanced Hill by throwing her head up as he tried to mount. So, with Brockman, often known as the Earl of Vasse, running along bent over and hanging on to the jockey’s ankles, it was a case of the hunchback, Quasimodo meeting Hopalong!

Finally, Ryan stopped doing the hop-step and jumped, into the saddle. Vern’s back should come good in another six months.

 His mount eventually finished last after losing ground at the start.

Just as well you have me at the races to capture these momentous events.

You simply can’t beat Old Tricks.