| R5 TRENTHAM | 16 March 2019 |
| Cuddle Stakes G3 FM OPEN ($67,000), 1600m 1:37.74 | |
| Race Synopsis: This G3 fillies and mares mile saw the odds on Concert Hall deliver another stellar performance and the 4yo has produced standing ovation efforts in her last hattrick.
The track today at Trentham looked awful and was chipping badly from the outset plus the grass was obviously left too long and added to the overall poor presentation and performance.
The times all day (bar the chute times as they are always bionic and not a realistic guide whatsoever) were slack (a Benchmark72 almost ran 1:40 for a mile) and a G3 winner with upside galore ran almost 1:38 for the mile.
The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (three-off the fence and a neck ahead), led (one-off the fence and a length ahead), led (one-off the fence and four lengths ahead), fourth (five-off the fence and a length and a half from the leader), eighth (deepest (nine-off the fence) and two lengths from the leader), seventh (second widest (nine-off the fence) and two lengths from the leader), fourth (seven off the fence and two and a half lengths from the leader), fourth (five-off the fence and half a length from the leader) and second (six-off the fence and half a length from the leader).
Concert Hall settled down last on her own and had ten rivals ahead until passing one of them midrace then was angled wide across the top closing in with gusto.
She turned for home the deepest and eighth but not far from the leaders and in a flash surged into second at the 300m before taking the front at the 200m.
The 4yo powered away to win by two and a half lengths and clocked an ordinary 1:37.74 to score her fifth win in nine starts.
Today was her third win in a row and her first Blacktype success having tried and failed at G2 last season over 2100m.
Concert Hall has won her last three runs very easily and maturity has done wonders for an already talented mare.
Jessiegee settled down midfield the outer and came up wide turning for home menacingly with a head full of steam and she grabbed the front at the 300m.
Such was the power of the surge of the winner she got headed at the 200m but was going well herself still and she fought on to hold the runners up spot to the line.
Tinkalicious ran on once into clear air from fifth the inner for third but was almost three and a half lengths from the winner.
Igraine, more a middle distance mare, liked the rain-affected footing and moved up second the outer on settling then grabbed a narrow lead turning for home before being headed at the 300m.
She was still third at the 100m before losing that Blacktype placing by half a head.
La Bella Rosa the leader weakened out to fifth while Monrecur, the stablemate of the winner, got back and wide but unleashed deep and reached fourth at the 200m before wilting on her run.
Lubaya plugged on from back on the inner then the rest were poor beaten nine lengths and up to over twenty-four lengths.
Concert Hall is untapped for sure and though it says she has won on a good surface that is misleading as the times that day with the Rail out 9m look impossible to believe for the 1400m and 1600m races.
Sting out of the ground or cut suits the mare but not a bog as she has too much ping and brilliance for bottomless footing.
Igraine is the big improver from the race when up to a more suitable trip now the tracks are easing dramatically naturally as opposed to over-watering that does more harm than good.
| |
| FP | Horse Age & Sex | Trainer Jockey | WT SP | |||||||
1st | 3. CONCERT HALL (NZ) 4yo Mare | ROGER JAMES & ROBERT WELLWOOD MATTHEW CAMERON | 55.0 $5.00 | |||||||
| SAVABEEL (AUS) - CLASSIC LEGACY (NZ) | ||||||||||
| Mrs J L Egan | 2nd | 4. JESSIEGEE (NZ) 5yo Mare | M BRESLIN LISA ALLPRESS | 55.0 $11.50 | ||||||
| ALAMOSA (NZ) - ST JESSIE (AUS) | ||||||||||
| Pee Gee & W J Bloodstock Ltd | 3rd | 5. TINKALICIOUS (NZ) 5yo Mare | MS JANELLE MILLAR R J MYERS | 55.0 $6.10 | ||||||
| NADEEM (AUS) - TINKERMIA (NZ) | ||||||||||
| J Bishop, K R Hill, G & R Hoar, D M & Mrs K Horo, L Klock, Ms T & W Rodden, Smyth And Co Racing Syndicate (Mgr: Tony Smyth), Tequila Sunrise Syndicate (Mgr: Scott Kearns) & Tinkalicious Syndicate (Mgr: Janelle Millar) | ||||||||||
| 4th | 1. IGRAINE (GER) 6yo Mare | ROBERT PRISCOTT SAMANTHA COLLETT | 56.0 $6.10 | |||||||
| 5th | 6. LA BELLA ROSA (NZ) 6yo Mare | T EGAN LEAH HEMI | 55.0 $41.00 | |||||||
| 6th | 7. MONRECOUR (NZ) 5yo Mare | FRASER AURET JOHNATHON PARKES | 55.0 $27.50 | |||||||
| 7th | 8. LUBAYA (NZ) 4yo Mare | R BERGERSON CHRIS JOHNSON | 55.0 $28.50 | |||||||
| 8th | 2. LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (NZ) 5yo Mare | VANESSA HILLIS CAMERON LAMMAS | 55.0 $9.30 | |||||||
| 9th | 10. BRIMM (NZ) 4yo Mare | J LUPTON SAM SPRATT | 55.0 $17.90 | |||||||
| 10th | 9. RUBY LOVE (NZ) 5yo Mare | MS JANELLE MILLAR M MCNAB | 55.0 $37.60 | |||||||
| 11th | 11. EXCELSIOR ISLAND (AUS) 4yo Mare | MARK FORBES JAKE BAYLISS | 55.0 $90.50 | |||||||
Group 3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes
3 Concert Hall (Matthew Cameron)
4 Jessiegee (Lisa Allpress)
5 Tinkalicious (Rosie Myers)
