17/04/2011  Happy Valley  Race 2

Due to a misunderstanding, P Strydom was duly declared as the rider of both WIND DAMPER and STEEL NERVES at the time of declaration. M Chadwick was substituted as the rider of STEEL NERVES. OASIS DAVIS was slow to begin. DARK SECRET began awkwardly and shortly after the start was bumped by FAIRY BOY which shifted out. Passing the 1100 Metres, DRAGONFIELD got its head up when being steadied away from the heels of MANY GAINS. Approaching the 1000 Metres, WIND DAMPER became unbalanced after being bumped on the hindquarters by FAIRY BOY which was taken out by LUCKY RECORD. Near the 900 Metres, FAIRY BOY shifted out away from the heels of LUCKY RECORD. After this, FAIRY BOY travelled wide and without cover. Near the 500 Metres, OASIS DAVIS was momentarily crowded for room inside LUCKY RECORD which got its head on the side and shifted in. After the race B Doyle reported that, in his opinion, OASIS DAVIS was short in its action and was lame. The Veterinary Officer reported that OASIS DAVIS was lame in its right front leg. Before being allowed to race again, OASIS DAVIS will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned regarding his riding of WIND DAMPER, P Strydom advised that he had been instructed to ride WIND DAMPER behind midfield due to the horse’s wide barrier. He said WIND DAMPER began very well and whilst it was available to him to obtain a forward position on WIND DAMPER, he was mindful that he had been instructed to position the horse behind midfield if possible and for this reason shortly after the start he commenced to steady the horse to obtain the position as instructed. He said it took some time for WIND DAMPER to be able to come back underneath him and obtain a position behind FAIRY BOY which he was able to do after the 800 Metres. He said rather than to continue to race wide, he elected to obtain the position behind LUCKY RECORD one horse off the fence after the 700 Metres rather than to follow FAIRY BOY in a three wide position. He added making the Home Turn LUCKY RECORD, which he had been following, shifted out which allowed WIND DAMPER the opportunity to improve its position inside that horse. He said he placed WIND DAMPER under full pressure in the Straight, however, the horse did not respond to his riding and finished near the rear of the field. Trainer P F Yiu stated that prior to the first race of today’s programme he was of two minds as to how WIND DAMPER should be ridden from the wide barrier. He said he felt that there would be good pace in the race and he was concerned that WIND DAMPER would be caught wide and without cover if use was made of the horse in the early stages to overcome barrier 12. He said after observing the first race when GREAT SHOW was able to win the race from off the pace, he discussed the matter with the connections of WIND DAMPER and it had been decided to ride the horse in a position behind midfield in the hope that it would be able to close off the race. He added that when WIND DAMPER began as well as it did today, he would not have taken exception to Jockey Strydom going forward on the horse, however, he was mindful that he had instructed Jockey Strydom that it had been the intention of the connections for the horse to be ridden quietly today. P Strydom was advised that whilst the Stewards accepted that he had been instructed to ride WIND DAMPER from off the speed, nonetheless having in mind the manner in which WIND DAMPER began and the tempo of the race in the early and middle stages, he should have shown more judgement and initiative than he did on this occasion in the early stages of the race. When questioned regarding his riding of DARK SECRET in the Straight, Apprentice K C Leung stated that after placing the horse under pressure in the early part of the Straight, DARK SECRET got its head on the side and lay in. He said he used the whip on the horse approaching the 200 Metres, however, DARK SECRET continued to race greenly and shifted in towards STEEL NERVES. He said he continued to push the horse out and strike it down the shoulder with the whip, however, as DARK SECRET was not in contention of finishing in a place and having regard to the manner in which it was racing, he continued to push the horse hands and heels but was reluctant to use the whip on the horse to any great degree. Apprentice Leung was advised that his riding of DARK SECRET in the Straight had come under notice and he should wherever possible ensure his mounts are ridden in such a manner so as to leave no room for query. When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of LUCKY RECORD, Apprentice M L Yeung said that the horse had raced well at its most recent start when ridden behind runners over the 1000 Metres at Happy Valley. He said with the step-up in distance to 1200 Metres today and with the horse being drawn well in gate 4, it was decided to ride the horse in a more forward position if possible. He said LUCKY RECORD proved difficult to settle in the early stages and hung out making the first turn. He added after this LUCKY RECORD continued to over-race and proved very difficult to settle until after the 700 Metres when the horse was able to obtain a position behind SWEETIE MUSIC. He said whilst LUCKY RECORD raced in a more relaxed fashion after this, because of the manner in which it raced in the early and middle stages, it was not able to finish off its race. A veterinary inspection of LUCKY RECORD after the race did not show any significant findings. MANY GAINS and SPICY SHRIMP were sent for sampling.