Page 21 - November 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Outside the Borders with Nigel Grif th
The Game, November 2007 21 A Memorable Return Trip
Although Dylan Thomas won the Arc de Triomphe , it could all have been so different if the mighty Manduro had turned up. This classy son of German sire Monsun had been on a roll of Gr1 victories when disaster struck after tak- ing the 12f Prix Foy, his prep for the big one. Later diagnosis showed he had sus- tained a fracture to the lateral condial of his off-hind cannon bone and once treated will go to stud, having had his breeding rights purchased by Sheikh Mohammed a few weeks prior for C$32.5million. “It is a common thing for trainers to talk about the best horse they have trained, but Manduro was the best horse I have trained, and the best by a good margin”, that coming from Andre Fabre himself, perhaps says it all.
Traditionally a great betting race, the 2m2f Cesarewitch Handicap (top-weight 136 – bottom-weight 110lbs) didn’t disappoint. Tony Martin is usually associated with big betting coups, but his winner Leg Spinner spun in at 14/1in a eld of 33 runners to take his share of the $335,000 prizemoney. What was interest- ing was that horses generally associated with the jumping game lled the rst four places and showed the pretentious at sorts that they are not just leaden footed plodders.
By Chris Lomon
In spite of her successes at Woodbine * she ranked third in 2002 * Suther- land was eager to prove, not only to
Dylan Thomas added the Gr1 10f Irish Champion Stakes to his career tally at the Curragh, when traveling smoothly un- der Kieren Fallon and quickening nicely before being eased on the line. He then proved to be the class horse in the Arc de Triomphe, even though he did take a rather scenic route to the line. The ground had been a worry before the race, but had not become soft enough to be detrimental to his chances and off that run he should now start favourite for the Breeders Cup Turf and disperse American memories of his run on the dirt at Belmont.
“I’m thrilled with the way things have gone this year,” said Sutherland, who, as of October 20, has 51 wins and ranks eighth in the Woodbine standings. “I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received from so many people.”
Trainer Norm DeSouza, who took his rst career win on May 25, 1991 at Fort Erie with Dapper Dandy, believes Sutherland is at
learned so much from riding in the States,” said DeSouza, who posted a 21 per cent win average in 2006, his highest mark since 2002. “She’s a very sound technical rider. She’s improved so much.
“But what I really like is that she al- ways has a smile on her face when she comes to the barn in the mornings. It’s not just about her ability, it’s her attitude as well. She’s a very positive person. When you are positive, anything is pos- sible.”
DeSouza isn’t the only one singing the praises of Sutherland.
“As a person, I’ve always thought she was good for the sport,” said conditioner John LeBlanc Jr. “As a rider, her timing and patience have really come along. She rides a very smart race.”
And when the race is over, Sutherland nds herself in high demand.
“She’s always been very popular with the fans and she’s very generous with her time,” noted LeBlanc. “It’s great for the sport when the riders take time to say hello to the fans or sign an autograph.”
A sure sign of the respect Sutherland has been afforded this season came prior to the recent Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International, one of Woodbine’s highest pro le races.
It was Sutherland who was given the reins of working Sovereign Award victor and multiple-stakes winning turf star Sky Conqueror.
As far as returns go, Sutherland couldn’t have asked for any better outcome, on and off the racetrack.
Her words prior to the start of the 2007 thoroughbred campaign have certainly rung true.
“Hopefully, it will be a memorable year,” she said.
Looks like Sutherland got her wish.
Septimus, also from the mighty Ballydoyle stable showed that he was more than just a stayer, when as the strong 5/4 favourite, he outclassed a decent eld over 21⁄4m in the Yorkshire Cup at Doncaster. As Yeats is due to step out of the ring, this guy is more than capable of lling his shoes.
They call it the ‘Race That Stops a Na- tion’, well it may have at one time, but the C$4.4million Melbourne Cup still ranks as one of the top handicap races in the world and in the lead up to this prestigious race there are two big money preps, the Caul eld Cup and the Cox Plate. Drama preceded the Caul eld Cup when Eskimo Queen got upset and cast in the stalls, which in turn made heavily backed favourite Maldivian unruly and he was backed out with blood streaming down his neck. At the other end of the race Master O’Reilly ew home to give trainer Danny O’Brien the exacta. The winner paid 9.50, but had been available at 100/1 to shrewd punters when the market was opened 21⁄2 months ago!!! Blue Monday and Pur- ple Moon (Damien Oliver booked) put up pleasing trials for the big one on November 6th. The Mackinnon(10f) and the Saab Quality(12f) on November 3rd, round off the main preps.
Voted Canada’s top apprentice rider in 2001 and 2002, the Winnipeg native, who rode at the Toronto oval from 2000-2004, moved to the United States in 2005, competing in Florida and New York.
Western Canada resident Ron Brimacombe has a young novice chaser named The Entomologist in training with Charlie Egerton in the UK. He has settled into a promising novice chaser and from a limited campaign, this son of Saddlers’ Hall has now won twice over fences from four starts, adding to a win over hurdles, another in a NHF race and an impressive win at Dundrum in a 3m Irish Point to Point as a 4yo in 2005. Dropped back in distance to 2 miles the other day, he was travelling nicely behind the leaders, only to sprawl on landing when jumping the third last fence as 7/4f at Carlisle
“I was really looking forward to coming back,” said Sutherland, who rode for several high-pro le trainers during her time in the U.S., including Hall of Fame conditioner Alan Jerkens and Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “I really missed being away from my family, so it was nice to be back home. I’m also proud to be Canadian. To ride again at Woodbine, which is very highly thought of and is an industry leader, is special to me.”
Dylan Thomas will now retire to stud and as a multiple Gr1 winner and one of the last sons of the mighty Danehill, he is already attracting much interest.
After going so close last year, El Sugundo went one better this year by taking the Cox plate for trainer Colin Little. Luke Nolan had the 6yo nicely placed throughout and pounced in the nal 100 metres to collect the C$1.58million winner’s purse.
Sutherland began her career in 2000, winning her rst race on October 9 of that year, aboard Silver Bounty. Aside from her two Sovereigns, other Wood- bine highlights include a 124-win season in 2002, two Queen’s Plate mounts, in 2001 and 2002 and contesting the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International in 2004, when she became just the third woman to ride in the turf classic.
It was a thrilling time for groom Ge- rard Flynn, when he led in champion 2yo New Approach into the winners enclo- sure before an appreciative crowd at Newmarket, having shown tremendous resolution to win the Dewhurst from an aptly named Fast Finish. This exciting son of Galileo has now won 5-5, in- cluding two Gr1’s and has been strongly backed into 6-4f for the 2,000 Guineas next May and 3-1f for the Derby in June. On a cautious note, last year Teo lo, also by Galileo and owned and trained by Jim Bolger and his wife was also well sup- ported for those two Classics and due to injury, didn’t make either race. That said, he does look a tremendous prospect when he steps up in trip to 8 and then 12 furlongs.
Also on the card, speedster Miss Andretti put away top class Gold Edition and the stalwart stayer Gallic swooped to take the Gr2 Cathay Paci c Airways Cup and now heads to Flemington on November 6th.
Two years ago, the York University graduate, who has six career stakes scores at Woodbine, captured the 31st running of the Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap with Smokume, giving Sutherland her rst graded stakes victory. The pair also teamed to take the Artax Stakes.
On the progressive racing continent of India, top jockey turned trainer Pesi Shroff had a few things to say about the rise of Indian racing and its place on the world stage. In an interesting interview, he expressed the view that although there is still a lot of work to do, the signs are very positive and encouraged all involved to allow foreign horses to race in India to test the standard, because even though horses like Saddle-Up, Astonish, Adler and Mystical have themselves gone and won abroad, more needs to be done at home. Riders are also gaining experience, many are welcomed as work riders in the England and Ireland and his stable jockey C. Ruzaan is currently in Canada.
And when the
meet concludes on
December 9, the
two-time Sovereign
Award winner will
take her tack to Santa
Anita, where she’ll
work horses and ride against some of North America’s top jocks at the famous California racetrack.
And they are.
Finalizing the 2yo season in Eng- land was the Gr1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and Ibn Khaldun stamped himself as one to remember over the win- ter period when he strode home with au- thority under Aussie jockey Kerrin McE- voy, who had own in from Australia to ride the Godolphin horse. The son of Dubai Destination can now be backed for the 2000 Guineas in May at the 8/1 on offer.
Sutherland became a fan favorite at Saratoga in 2005 after riding numerous longshot winners, including Stock Tip, who paid $110. Her average winner at Saratoga in 2005 paid $31.84.
She might be heading south soon, but Chantal Sutherland’s career certainly is not.
herself, that she was a much more polished performer upon her return to the Toronto oval.
Afteratwo-year ab- sence from the Wood- bine riding colony, Sutherland, 31, has made a triumphant return to the Toronto oval in 2007.
“I want to stay healthy and work hard,” offered Sutherland. “I know I’m stronger than ever before. As long as the people I ride for are happy, then that’s what matters.”
“I learned a lot riding in the U.S.,” said Sutherland, who has 300 career Woodbine wins as of October 20. “The biggest things were professionalism and honouring and respecting your peers.”
the top of her game.
“What I noticed about her is that she
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