06/12/2017  Happy Valley  Race 7

GODSPEED began only fairly and then shortly after the start was steadied when crowded for room between VARA PEARL which shifted out and ACCESSION YEARS which was taken in by SPARKLING SWORD. MI BLANCO shifted out at the start and bumped WAH MAY BABY. LET’S TAKE IT EASY and BO DUKE bumped at the start. Despite being ridden along in the early stages, BO DUKE failed to muster speed and shortly after the start was shifted across behind runners. Passing the 800 Metres, DESTIN was awkwardly placed outside the heels of SPEEDY WALLY which shifted away from the heels of LET’S TAKE IT EASY after travelling keenly and being awkwardly placed behind that horse. Throughout the middle stages, BO DUKE travelled wide and without cover. Passing the 400 Metres, SPEEDY WALLY momentarily raced in restricted room between VARA PEARL and DESTIN, both of which shifted slight ground. Approaching and passing the 200 Metres, LET’S TAKE IT EASY raced tight between SPARKLING SWORD and WAH MAY BABY when improving into narrow running between those horses. When LET’S TAKE IT EASY was improving inside WAH MAY BABY, those horses brushed, resulting in WAH MAY BABY shifting out and inconveniencing CURLING LUXURY. Passing the 200 Metres, GODSPEED was awkwardly placed close to the heels of SPEEDY WALLY when being directed to the outside of that horse to obtain clear running. At the 150 Metres, the whip of P-C Boudot (BO DUKE) was knocked from his grasp by the whip of F Prat (VARA PEARL). In the Straight, SPEEDY WALLY got its head on the side and lay in under pressure. When questioned, K Tosaki stated that he felt that he would have had to ride GODSPEED along in the middle stages in an endeavour to follow SPEEDY WALLY. He said as a number of runners were shifting ground in advance of GODSPEED, he was unable to improve at this time which resulted in GODSPEED being further out of its ground than had been intended, given that the horse was also inconvenienced at the start. A veterinary inspection of GODSPEED immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of SPEEDY WALLY immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. GODSPEED, LET’S TAKE IT EASY and SPARKLING SWORD were sent for sampling.