Clouseau fails close inspection at Farm
Story By by Geoff Thomsen
Wednesday, 16 August 2006:  | | Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse |
Having just his second career start the colt was heavily supported on track to start at $1.70 after easing out to $2 with the extra 50m expected to suit him.
The concensus before the race was that Clouseau had the speed to lead and would be hard to get past although he was expected to be better suited around 1600m.
Unruly horses delayed the start with three late scratchings, two from the Bart Cummings stable, holding up proceedings.
Jumping well the colt was eased back to take up a position behind the pace and was handily placed fifth on the fence about three lengths off the lead.
Jockey Hugh Bowman moved him up behind the leaders swinging for home but he failed to produce any sprint when the pressure was applied. He held his ground under punishment, drifting two or three horses off the fence, managing to hold on for third in a close finish.
The John Hawkes-trained Coco Roca was taken straight to the lead by Rodney Quinn, dictating the terms of the race before kicking away turning for home and he raced on strongly to score. He appreciated the extra 200m of the race after a first-up second over 1100m.
Frustration continued for the consistent Turnip McKenzie, part-owned by swimmer Ian Thorpe and trained by Gai Waterhouse, when he recorded his fifth second from eight starts in the first race.
The gelding looked a winning chance when he dashed clear but was easily run down by the strong-finishing Duffield.
There was further disappointment for the Waterhouse stable when the well-fancied Tactical Response failed to live up to expectations in the final event, dropping out sharply to finish a distressed last.
The gelding was sent out a solid favourite on the strength of two barrier trials but was
forced to race wide from the start and was a beaten horse before the turn.
Last-start Grafton winner Jurnnom enhanced his reputation with a bold front-running effort to upset the older horses.
Trainer John O’Shea has improved the colt immensely since taking over the training and will now give the colt his chance against his own age in the Royal Sovereign Stakes.
“He has been showing good gate speed and the step up in distance helped,” O’Shea said. “I thought he was entitled to fade as he has missed work due to the wet tracks but he held on gamely.”
Jockey Tim Clark said the decision to lead came as the horse had been showing dash on the track.
“He has been showing a bit on the track but he has not had a run for six weeks,” Clark said. “It was a good tough effort against the older horses.”
Having come from back in the field to win at Grafton where he set a fast time in winning the 2YO Plate over 1200m it was a surprise to see the colt lead over the 1300m journey.
Jurnnom has had just he four starts for two wins and was well supported in starting second favourite at $3.40.
Ends…
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