 |
|
|
 
Thursday July 10th Meeting In Review
Posted on 10/07/2008 | Posted by By Geoff Whittle | Back to News Archive
The Northam track received 5.5 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours preceding Thursday�s meeting and has endured several frosts recently but played well for the nine events albeit with several front runners winning. This was due to the abbreviated layout of the course with the rail out ten metres. Casuarina trainer Lindsey Smith had a change of luck when he produced Toy Of War�s half brother Briccone a first up winner in race one, the Tim Mosel Memorial Maiden over 1600 metres. It was a good training effort and an equally good ride from Paul Harvey who had the gelding sitting over the pace with cover in fourth place until the straight. New Faith ran on for second and leader James Bon held third place. Favourite Bandalera was caught wide throughout and plodded in sixth place. Black Habit�s win was a popular one with punters in the second event, the 1600 metre Thelma Winch Maiden. The filly�s chances looked tenuous when she came into the straight blocked for a run in a packed field. But the good jockey that he is, Jason Whiting found a gap in the run home to get through and grab the victory from Skitzo and Genuine Silence. Malaysian apprentice Joseph See landed his first provincial winner when he guided Genana to an upset all-the-way win in race three, The Charles Winch Memorial Maiden. See had previously ridden winners at the country tracks of Carnarvon, Roebourne and Leonora from 30 rides. See sent Genana to an early lead in the 1300 metre event and he held out Global Vision and Leuwin Star to win by a neck. Odds on favourite Buzzorpen raced ungenerously early and never travelled like a winner after jumping into the box seat behind Genana. Apprentice Chloe Chatfield rode a good front-running race to get Kilkenny Jac home in race four, the 1100 metre Heather Coulter Memorial Maiden for her master, Lark Hill�s Duane Kitchingman. Chatfield has had a frustrating run and will start an 18 day suspension on Sunday but she put all behind her to ride Kilkenny Jac hard in the straight, winning comfortably from Pirates Gold and King Kool Kat. The Roger Smith Memorial Handicap saw promising gelding Henry The Pharoah score his second Northam win for the season. Stephen Parnham, who has established himself as an accomplished rider on the local scene rode the three-year-old perfectly to place him fifth in the clear and then bring him with a powerful run in the straight. Pesca Albero took second from the fast finishing Blazing Gun. Chloe Chatfield bought up a winning double when she guided the Michael Pateman trained Akheson to lead all the way in race six over 1600 metres, the Graeme Mosel Handicap. Chatfield bounced the big grey out to set the pace and had Mystical Xaar tracking him with Prince Of Promise also prominent. Another fancy, Beau Of Indies settled at the rear but commenced an early three wide run. Despite running off on the bend Akheson held on well to beat Mystical Xaar who had every chance after being presented with a dream rails run. Beau Of Indies maintained a strong wide run to take third. In the Café Bugatti Handicap All Spots was the third grey to lead from start to finish in race seven at good odds for jockey Daniel Staeck. The Bill Patten trained three-year-old returned $17.60 on the WA TAB in beating Pimpala Domino and Diamond Haze. Apprentice Jarred Noske used his initiative to work the punter�s elect Key Biscuit somewhat early in order to get him into a prominent position from his wide draw in the K.R.A.S.Y Handicap, race eight. Noske had the Daniel Morton trained gelding outside the leader Seize Control on settling down and from there on he was always going to be hard to beat. Key Biscuit surged to the lead in the straight and he got away at 100 metres mark to have race winning lead. Saracen King ran a better race for second as did Tribal Lord who ran on from the rear early to claim third. Northam�s card was completed when Jessica Hill rode Faslizan in a faultless fashion to get her home over the warm favourite Cielo Du Fuego in race nine, the Bugatti Catering Handicap. Hill slotted Faslizan in behind the leader after jumping and it was only a matter of peeling off the fence into the straight and letting the filly have her head to gain the win. Paul Harvey had backmarker Cielo Du Fuego at the rear turning for home and he rode for luck by taking the rails route and things looked good until he got onto the heels of the leader, Clunky Hero�s. Yannick Valenti riding that galloper held tight on the rails and with Blue Cotton Candy (3rd) on his outside, Harvey was forced to check and pull around the leaders. By this time Faslizan was away and running.
|