14/03/2012  Happy Valley  Race 8

From wide barriers, MASTER RIO and RED LUCKY STAR were taken across behind runners shortly after the start. Near the 1100 Metres, GLORY HORSIE and JADE CHRISTY momentarily raced in restricted room between MI SAVVY and LOADS OF JOY which shifted in. Near the 900 Metres, CHARLES THE GREAT got its head up and raced ungenerously. CHARLES THE GREAT then continued to over-race and near the 700 Metres shifted in abruptly when being checked away from the heels of CHATER POWER. After the 800 Metres, KICK SERVE was left racing wide and without cover. Near the 200 Metres, GLORY HORSIE was shifted out away from the heels of JADE CHRISTY which was commencing to give ground. After the 100 Metres, CENTURY SUPER STAR shifted in and bumped GLORY HORSIE. When questioned regarding the performance of WINDICATOR STAR, B Prebble stated that after being loaded his mount became very fractious and reared. He said WINDICATOR STAR then began awkwardly and a short distance after the start was checked when crowded for room between CHARLES THE GREAT which shifted in after being bumped by MASTER RIO and BULLISH KING which shifted out after being bumped on the hindquarters by WINDICATOR STAR. He said after this he shifted WINDICATOR STAR across behind runners and was able to make up ground in the run to the first turn which resulted in it obtaining a favourable position. He said WINDICATOR STAR travelled strongly in the middle stages and near the 500 Metres he felt that his mount was going well enough to figure in the finish. He added however that at the entrance to the Straight WINDICATOR STAR immediately came under pressure and despite being ridden along did not finish off its race. He said, in his opinion, the manner in which WINDICATOR STAR weakened in the Straight was disappointing. The barrier manners of WINDICATOR STAR were considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, WINDICATOR STAR will be required to perform satisfactorily in a stalls test. When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of JADE CHRISTY, Apprentice T H So stated that he had to make considerable use of the horse in the early stage to obtain a forward position as instructed including having to ride it with the whip due to it being slow to begin. He said after the 1000 Metres he was obliged to continue riding JADE CHRISTY along in order to cross MI SAVVY to his inside which he was not able to do until after the 800 Metres. He said after this JADE CHRISTY travelled fairly until the 400 Metres at which point the horse came under pressure and then weakened out of the race in the Straight. He did say that he had ridden JADE CHRISTY in a piece of track work in the lead up to tonight’s race and, in his opinion, that work was good. He said that, in his opinion, the disappointing performance of JADE CHRISTY could be attributed to the amount of use that had to be made of the horse in the early stages to obtain a forward position. A veterinary inspection of WINDICATOR STAR and JADE CHRISTY after the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of GLORY HORSIE after the race did not show any significant findings other than the horse had lost its left front plate. CHARLES THE GREAT and MI SAVVY were sent for sampling.