DOOM OCT 31 - WIN NUMBER 13 FOR FORESTRENO

By Graham Potter | Thursday, November 5, 2009

Doomben, October 31, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 2m.
Open Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-09.76.
1 Forestreno; 2 Ghetto Blaster; 3 Tellasecret.

The Phil McLeod trained Forestreno is such a solid performer. Two runs back the old stager (he is eight-years-old) got the better of the highly-rated Burdekin Blues by a nose and the margin was the same this time as the gelding fought on to hold off the determined challenge of Ghetto Blaster to claim the thirteenth win of his career.

Jockey Glen Colless settled Forestreno just off the heels of the front-running Telesecret mid-race. The rider asked Forestreno for more early in the straight and Forestreno moved into a narrow lead at the 250m, but, from there, he was under siege all the way to the line.

Telesecret wouldn’t go away on the inside. Ollie Vollie kept fighting ... but it was Ghetto Blaster, who had raced towards the rear of the field in the early part, who loomed as the biggest danger to Forestreno as he made up ground quickly from behind. With 100m to go Ghetto Blaster looked set to swamp the leaders, but Colless remained hard at work on Forestreno and the gelding refused to buckle under pressure, staying on long enough to get the decision in a fighting finish.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Phil McLeod: “I missed a 1350 with him last week. I was going to run him last week in the 1350, but ... I don’t know ... I just the thought the 1200m would go better at this stage. He is an old horse who has been up for a while and the three week gap was the go. I am just going race by race with him. You are training an old horse, you know, but I do have a plan for him further down the track if he stays sound and is fit. I want to win a Group 3 with him.

“He is a difficult horse to place because the enemy’s got him - the handicapper. So, yeah, I’m having a bit of trouble with that. He just keeps putting in. Because he had 58.5 ... Glen (Colless) is a heavyweight jock. That’s why I put him on.”

Jockey Glen Colless: “It’s probably not his go going forward, but I said to (trainer) Phil (McLeod) before the race, I didn’t think there was a great deal of speed in it. I said to him, I think the better option is going forward and putting him in the race today.

“It worked out because the second horse has had to come from the back while I was sort of up there getting a pretty cosy run where I was. I actually didn’t begin that good, but I just made sure I just rolled forward. I thought the tempo of the race was going to be pretty slow so that is why I went forward on him. I half-thought Ghetto Blaster got past me, but then he might have just died on his run.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Forestreno): 7.50 in to 7.00.
Favourite (Bold Glance): 5.50 out to 6.00 in to 4.60. Finished seventh.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
The start of this race was delayed due to Mr Aristos having its near-fore plate refitted at the barriers.
Ghetto Blaster (B. Stewart) began awkwardly. Tellasecret (C. Reith) and Southerly Impact (M. Hellyer) made contact on jumping away. Upilio (P. Hammersley) over-raced for a short distance approaching the first turn. Daunting Lad (D. Craven) and Ollie Vollie (T. Bell) raced wide throughout.

Stewards sought an explanation from jockey K. Banks, rider of Bold Glance, regarding her decision to relinquish the lead to Vocalic approaching the 800m. K. Banks explained that Bold Glance began well and travelled strongly to the inside of Vocalic in the early stages, however felt it was not in the gelding's best interests to make use of it and contest the lead and therefore elected to take a position trailing Vocalic, which she anticipated would maintain the lead. K. Banks added that when Vocalic surrendered the lead to Tellasecret, this placed her three back on the rails. K. Banks further explained that the horse travelled well in that position and ran home reasonably in the straight.

Trainer N. Hilton's representative explained she was satisfied with K. Bank's decision to take a position trailing Vocalic as the circumstances of this race differed to that of its most recent start where Bold Glance had been able to lead unchallenged. Mrs Hilton added that the horse had also stepped up in class today and was pleased with its effort. A post-race veterinary examination of Bold Glance failed to reveal any significant abnormalities.

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