Stipendiary Steward's Report 

Stewards: K Hawea, N.Goodwin, B Bateup

The Italian Job (R Stam) began awkwardly.
Soon after the start H Tinsley the rider of Capitol had to take hold of his mount when Dalton (P Taylor) who was racing on the outside, shifted in when only marginally clear.
In the run down the back, Capitol and High Powered (T Collis) both got their heads up when the pace ahead slackened.
The winner, Heza Scoundrel (M Du Plessis), was disqualified at the conclusion of the event after Jockey Du Plessis weighed in under its carded weight. Jockey M Du Plessis had weighed out at 57kg and weighed in at 55.5kg. The final placings now read, 2, 10, 6, 12, 7.
Mr G Sharrock, trainer of the horse, admitted that he had accidentally omitted the lead bag when saddling the horse. He was charged under rule 858(4) and fined the sum of $1000.

Race Reports

Albert: 

No doubt we are all a little disappointed with today's result. I have spoken to Heather who listened to the race from Melbourne, and Ron her husband who took Twiggy to the races today. 

She has jumped well in all her jump outs and in her trial, but missed the start today and that was pretty much the race.

Apparently there was movement in the barriers outside her just before the start and she was in the process of moving when the barriers opened and while the rest of the field jumped, she rocked back on her haunches and by the time she jumped they were 3 or 4 lengths in front of her.

  
Ronald Stam got her onto the back of the field and said she felt good, and on the turn felt that she could have run on into midfield if he had pulled the whip, but didn't see the point in punishing her if she wasn't going to run in the first five, so didn't push her. The track was very "puggy" which also made it hard to make ground in. 

Ronald said that if she had jumped well he felt that she would have been in the firing line in the straight. 

Heather said she has pulled up well and to forget she ever went around as it was not a reflection of the ability she has shown at home. We will treat her next start as new start and she will have learned from her trip away and race today. 
 
Sometimes that's racing. Think of the odds next time! 

I will keep you up to date with her next start and how she has come through the race.

Having not seen her since visiting her at the stables last Christmas, she looked a picture and had certainly matured onto a nice looking filly.

The soft going (3.9) had not cut up during the meeting and appeared to be dead "holding" ground as the runners left the birdcage for the last race of the day.

Going down to the start, she held her head high and was settled nicely by Ronald, she appeared on the TV a couple of times as the horses milled around behind the stalls, and although it was noticeable that she had begun to sweat between her legs she was still calm, and there were no signs elsewhere.

Along with the favourite Capitol she was the last to loaded, being led and assisted at the rear by two stalls handlers she planted her four legs as she was half in, a final push and she was in, the handler climbed the stalls and slid down the rail to her left, she moved slightly forward at this point, and her concentration was then on the handler.

As the call from the starter came, she lunged forward appearing to anticipate the gates opening, and as they opened she had begun to go back on her haunches. By the time she had recovered and left the stalls she was already a few lengths from the pack and six to seven lengths from the leaders who were already well into their stride.

She tagged onto the back of the pack by 1100m and was then settled as the pace at the front appeared to drop, with 800m to go the leaders picked up the pace and she appeared to be tapped for toe, Ronald began to push her and tapped her on the shoulder a couple of times, she responded and began to join them again at the 400m, although the leaders at this point were well into their finish. She continued to gallop to the line unaided and passed a couple more after the line, which would have given her some satisfaction.

Summary: Missed break, never near to challenge.