Wa Sprinter Blasts His Rivals
The Sunday Age
Sunday September 2, 2007
WEST Australian sprinter Scenic Blast yesterday burst the bubble of high-quality youngster Shrewd Rhythm when he took out the $125,000 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield.
Scenic Blast turned in an extraordinary performance to defeat some of Victoria's best three-year-olds but the abject failure of the race was undoubtedly the recently purchased Shrewd Rhythm, who finished a disappointing eighth. "I must admit I'm a bit flat. It was probably my fault. I wanted him ridden back instead of forward and that didn't seem to agree with him at any point," new trainer David Hayes said. "That was probably my mistake but I must admit I was shattered until when Craig (Williams) got off him and said it was purely a front-runners race and not to be too upset. If you look closely at all the sectionals you'll see he had little hope coming from last." Hayes and a group of businessmen paid $1.5 million for Shrewd Rhythm two weeks ago after the colt so impressively scored in the Vain Stakes. "We'll push on with him, he needs 1400 and we've learnt a valuable lesson that you can't just switch him off early in the race and switch him back on when the time is right. Unfortunately yesterday he stayed switched off," Hayes said.But while Shrewd Rhythm's new owners were lamenting the colt's performance it was in stark contrast to the connections of Scenic Blast who yesterday established himself as a genuine spring carnival hope."You really never know until you make the trip here and see if you can measure up. We were always quietly confident he could make the transition but it was a pretty hot race and a first-four finish would have been ideal," trainer Danny Morton said. "But he's done a good job and it was a nice sign to see Jason (Brown) still sitting quietly when they came round the turn and I instantly knew he was going to be the horse to beat." Scenic Blast cost connections $85,000 as a yearling and yesterday's victory has ensured his purchase price will be returned. Scenic Blast will now head to the Caulfield Guineas and hopefully, according to Morton, an attempt at the Victoria Derby later in the spring. Another disappointment in the race was Murtajill, who finished fourth in only a battling effort. "He didn't like being held up early in the race. He took a furlong to wind up when he got clear," jockey Corey Brown said. Scenic Blast, who firmed from $10 into $9, scored by three-quarters of a length from Pins on Parade at $8, with Marching ($6.50) a half-length away third.Shrewd Rhythm drifted from $3.10 out to $3.70, while Murtajill was just as friendless blowing from $3.50 to $4.40. ? Lee Freedman is never given to making outlandish statements about his powerful team but the trainer yesterday relented after the win of Royal Asscher in the Arrow Training Services Plate at Caulfield.Freedman said Royal Asscher was the best of his three-year-old fillies and expected her to be a main player in the coming spring races. "That was a pretty easy win but I just wanted to see her do it before really marking her down as a group horse," Freedman said. "She looked to have them covered a long, long way out, she made a long run and she wasn't tiring on the line so there's a bit of scope to her."Royal Asscher, who firmed late in betting from $3.30 to $2.90, swept to the lead inside the final 200 metres and possessed too much class for her rivals. Jockey Damien Oliver was equally as pleased as Freedman, describing Royal Asscher's performance as "excellent". "She had to make a long run and although it looked a very comfortable win I think on the line she was pretty much flat to the boards," he said.
© 2007 The Sunday Age