GCST JAN 09 - WALKING OR DANCING FLIES HOME

By Matthew Grimson and Graham Potter | Thursday, January 14, 2010

Gold Coast, January 09, 2010.
Track - Dead 4. Rail - Out 2m (900-400); True 400 - winning post; Out 1m - remainder.
Magic Millions Cup (Quality Handicap) - 1400m. Time: 1-21.72.
1 Walking Or Dancing; 2 Zero Rock; 3 Mr Unforgettable.

The Brett Partelle trained Walking Or Dancing landed a solid win in the Magic Millions Cup, coming from a long way off the pace to power home to a clear-cut victory.

Jockey Glen Boss took the five-year-old back from his awkward alley and Walking Or Dancing raced in the second half of the field until the turn where he straightened some seven to eight horses wide, still seven lengths off the leading duo of Bold Glance and Voice Commander who had set the tempo from the jump.

At that stage Walking Or Dancing had the well supported favourite O’Lonhro in tow and the reasonable expectation then was that these two runners would put in their runs together down the outside. But that did not happen.

Walking Or Dancing did respond to his task when asked to go about his business by Boss, but, asked the same question, O’Lonhro’s engine misfired. The favourite marked time briefly, then fell away.

By then Walking Or Dancing was well and truly on his way. Up front, Mr Unforgettable and Zero Rock were wearing down the leaders. Mr Unforgettable got to the front briefly with Zero Rock closing, but neither of these runners had any answer to the outright acceleration of Walking Or Dancing who Boss brought home with a flourish to win going away by 2.00 lengths from Zero Rock.

This was Walking Or Dancing’s seventh career victory from thirty starts. He also has eight minor placings to his credit.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Brett Partelle: “The horse has always promised to do something like this. I couldn’t be happier with him through the week and I said to Bossy, I said ... a champion would have to be produced today to beat him, because he was spot on. It’s just great when it works out.

“He stretched out like the good horse he is. He is a Group horse. I’ve just gone home some nights and just sat at the kitchen table working on how to plot and how to plan ... but, geez, I’m so happy for the owners and I’m so happy for the staff. We are just so happy.

"Yeah, things went very much to game-plan. I said to Bossy just get out of the speed battle ... they are going to go along. I knew O’Lonhro would settle back and I said, you’ll be probably two-and-a-half lengths in front of him, and I said, he is going to have to run unbelievable sectionals to beat you. I knew my horse would break 22 seconds and I couldn’t see him (O’Lonhro) doing that with that weight (O’Lonhro was giving Walking Or Dancing 5kg).

“Look, it’s terrific to see the horse breakthrough. They’ve run 1-21.72. Scintillating time. I’d love to get his last sectionals. It’s just terrific for the owners and a big relief for me because I got sick of running into bad luck with him, but he showed he is a very good horse today and he secured himself a start down the line and maybe we can knock off a nice Group 2 or Group 1.

“I’ve had so much faith in the horse. We haven’t had the best of luck. He is such an under-rated horse. He’s found so much trouble. I know he’s had his knockers, but, gee whiz, in some of the races he has been so stiff.

“It wasn’t the ideal campaign with the horse. He went to Melbourne and things went astray.” (Walking Or Dancing finished a 1.10 length fifth to Centennial Park (in a Group 3 contest) and followed up with another unplaced run, this time in Group 1 company, when 8.00 lengths behind All American in the Emirates Stakes). “Also, he got galloped on in the Festival (in his last start). Things didn’t happen and we had to go back and re-group, but we’ve re-grouped and he’s run a sensational time. I just couldn’t be happier!

“Geez I tell you, it will be a big drink tonight.

“He’ll go home now (to Wyong). He’ll head straight home tomorrow night. He’ll have time in the paddock and then we’ll get him ready for the big races in the Autumn."

Jockey Glen Boss: “The horse presented in the enclosure like very, very well. He was quite perfect.

“He has had absolutely no luck his last three starts. He has just had dreadful luck. So it was just a matter of keeping him comfortable and he felt good back in the pack. He went past good horses very, very quickly.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Vocalic (S. Katsidis) knuckled on jumping. Heart Of The Citi (M. Cahill) was slow away. Morning Colours (P. Hammersley) and Light Red (L. Cassidy) missed the start slightly. Walking Or Dancing (G. Boss) came from the gates somewhat awkwardly.

Near the 1000m Morning Colours and Light Red were unnecessarily crowded for room by O'Lonhro (D. Beadman), which shifted in when not clear but almost immediately was taken out to allow room for the inside runners. Because of the actions taken by D. Beadman (O'Lonhro) to relieve the crowding no direct action was taken but he was reprimanded and advised to exercise far more care than this in future.

Stewards afforded D. Beadman and J. Hawkes an opportunity of explaining the run of O'Lonhro. D. Beadman said that the horse travelled only satisfactorily in the early stages and on several occasions between the 800m and until after the 600m was uncomfortable in the going and dipped several times. He said that the horse started to make some ground in the early part of the straight but near the 150m its run had ended. Trainer J. Hawkes said that it had been working well and over recent days had done well. He did say that the horse is in his opinion suited to larger tracks. He added that it was the intention to return the horse to Sydney tomorrow.

Rounding the home turn Mr Orient (C. Munce) hung out.

A post race veterinary examination of Heart Of The Citi revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-fore leg. A veterinary certificate of fitness must be produced before Heart Of The Citi again races.
A post race veterinary examination of O'Lonhro revealed the gelding to have sustained a laceration to the tongue.

As B. Pengelly was ill stewards permitted rider changes as per the Stewards Race Day Summary following this event.

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