Noonan filly comes up trumps at Sandown
Story By by Geoff Thomsen
Wednesday, 16 August 2006:  | | Tony Noonan |
Noonan said before the race that the filly had improved since her first two outings and felt she would hit the line hard.
“She is a genuine filly and should have more improvement in her,” Noonan said. “I will be very disappointed if she doesn’t run a solid mile. Her mother (Northeast Sheila) was very smart and I hope this one will be as good as her”.
Jockey Nash Rawiller had the filly away smartly and had her poised behind the pace in third place before peeling out to make his run swinging for home.
The filly eased out and balanced up before running home powerfully to win comfortably.
Disappointment of the race was the well-supported Nashita from the Lee Freedman stable.
Having her first run back from a spell the filly was well supported late but didn’t raise her backers’ hopes.
She got well back near third last early, jockey Damien Oliver pulling her out four wide to make her run. Looming up about 200m out the filly made some ground before her run ended about 100m out and she only battled to the line, missing a place.
The stable has a very high opinion of this filly with expectations that she will go forward to better races.
A decision to back up Arctic Silver quickly after a second placing at Flemington on Saturday proved fruitful when the mare showed great courage to score over 2400m at Sandown Hillside.
The mare fought back after being headed close to home to register a strong win, the 3kg claim for apprentice Michael Guthrie decisive in a tight finish with the mare prevailing by a short half-head.
Trainer Richard Laming praised the effort of the mare, saying the tactics were to try and get cover from the strong wind.
“She put in a real tough effort,” Laming said. “She was headed but kicked back to win and that shows how tough she is.”
Guthrie said he had elected to push forward early to avoid being forced to race deep.
“I would have been stuck out on a limb if I hadn’t pushed forward,” Guthrie said.
“She fought on well and just kept sticking her neck out. It was a good, tough win in the conditions.”
The mare was well supported late to start a strong favourite on SuperTAB at $2.50.
Troubled gelding Pinions was scratched from the Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington on Saturday to race at Sandown Hillside but failed to live up to his first-up victory with a disappointing fourth.
The David Hayes-trained gelding sat midfield early and was under pressure before the turn trying to make ground.
Craig Williams pulled him out three and four wide to make his run and he made some ground in the run home without threatening to finish fourth.
Trainer Stephen Aldridge’s decision to keep the blinkers on Monahan Tweed ($8.00 to $7.50 on SuperTAB) proved correct when the gelding led throughout to score narrowly.
“He showed improvement with the blinkers on last run and I decided to leave them on,” Aldridge said. “He has been improving and I think they helped him last time.”
Outsider Jeunique almost caused a boilover, the gelding storming home out wide to fail by the barest of margins.
Trainer John Hawkes’s decision to race Swishes at Sandown Hillside instead of Warwick Farm backfired when the mare failed to show out, finishing well back behind the impressive Miss Kooch.
While Swishes was back last early jockey Craig Williams had Miss Kooch travelling sweetly behind the pace and when he hooked her out to make her run swinging for home the mare accelerated quickly to race clear and held on strongly.
Trainer Cindy Alderson said before the race that Miss Kooch had not trialled and had had her share of problems with her legs.
“It is great as this is the first winner since Colin and I went into partnership,” Cindy Alderson said. “We wanted to get the first one out of the way and this has been a good way to do it.
“I was a bit concerned that her fitness would not hold out and was holding my breath near the post but she ran a good race.”
Miss Kooch was a solid third favourite behind Swishes and Testabel, paying $5.10 for the win.
Ends…
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