Almanac Horseracing: Our plan from barrier eleven – what could possibly go wrong?
Briseis Club members at Ararat on Saturday L-R, Julie Cantwell, Denis Craven, John Craven, Trevor Cantwell, Briseis Eclipse, RDL, horse in the next stall, Geoff Drummond
Absolute cracker of a fine sunny morning on Saturday, yet it was a very pensive Geelong sporting identity and Briseis Club President, John Craven who greeted me at his back door.
For those of you playing at home, the Briseis Club is a group of assorted Geelong-based racing enthusiasts named not after the Briseis of Homer’s Iliad but after Geelong’s own champion filly Briseis who won the 1876 Melbourne Cup as a three-year-old – the first of just three fillies to ever do so.
Three days earlier she had won the VRC Derby and two days later she won the VRC Oaks. The previous autumn she won the Doncaster Handicap as a two-year-old. I think you probably get the picture. She was a pretty special horse.
“500 kilometre round trip for one minute of action,” he mused, in reference to our plan to drive to Ararat for the time-honoured Ararat Agriculture, Horse and Pet Maiden Plate over 1100 metres.
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Briseis Club members own a small fraction of one share of another three-year-old filly optimistically named Briseis Eclipse. And on Saturday she was off to Ararat for just her second race start.
L-R, John Craven, RDL, Denis Craven
But it’s a great day for a drive, although many farmers around Western Victoria would beg to differ after not having any decent rain to speak of for almost two years. And the 500 kilometre round trip suddenly seems to be less enjoyable than we had anticipated given the poor state of the rural main roads we encounter. I know this part of Victoria well and they are as bad as I have ever known them to be.
One of the many dry paddocks south of Ararat
Curiosity soon gets the better of us though so it’s a call to our trainer, the Horsham based Paul Preusker. He shares two important bits of information. From barrier 11, he has told jockey Linda Meech not to burn too much petrol trying to cross over but to look for cover in the three wide line then pull out for a run when they straighten for home. Sounds a good idea.
He then tells us he rates the Paynes’ odds-on favourite, Chilli Reaper and the unraced Jack Hill mount Kilmer as clearly the best chances but suggests we have as good a chance as the rest to snag third place.
My betting strategy quickly falls into place. Briseis Eclipse a place bet; Chilli Reaper, Kilmer and Briseis Eclipse boxed up for quinellas and trifectas. Way to go, thank you Paul!
On arrival at the track before the first race which is ours, it is very quiet but Preusker stable leading staffer Sonia quickly greets us at stall 46 with a big cheery smile.
“Like a photo with our girl?”
L-R, John Craven, Briseis Eclipse, Geoff Drummond and RDL
“OK, so the plan goes like this – jump out nice and quickly but don’t cross; slide into the three wide running line where Linda tells you.”
Hmm, sounds like a plan!
You lookin’ at me!
Bookies’ rings are a far call from what they used to be. These are two of yesterday’s four and no on-course TAB betting facilities available; hence, our prudent decision to bet at an Ararat pub-tab en route – thank you so much Gillon McLachlan.
In the mounting yard…
…oh yeah, a jockey would be handy.
“At the barrier,” says the course announcer.
The crisp suddenness of his call in the languid early Saturday afternoon country air gets our collective pulses racing a little quicker.
Then they jump… and Plan A goes out the window!
Linda Meech tells us later our filly became unsettled by an erratic horse in the next stall then lost three lengths at the start after that same horse moved sideways impeding any chance Linda had of executing her intended manoeuvre. With little other option available out wide like that, she eased to lob into a position two off the fence but, by then, a conspicuous second last as they came off the back.
But then, as several politicians reminded us last weekend, things are never as good as you hope but never as bad as they seem. And thus it was with our girl who, Linda later insisted, stretched out very impressively once she became balanced eventually ending up fifth.
Linda Meech tells us all about the mishap at the start.
According to official post-race documents, Briseis Eclipse went from eleventh (third last) at the 400 metres to fifth at the finish. No other horse, including the eventual winner, made up anywhere near as much ground as that. Despite the set-back, this was an excellent run under the circumstances.
Linda also suggested it might be a good idea to put one of the senior blokes on her next time to ride her aggressively out of the stalls. Almost as one, several of us shared eye contact under a thought bubble which read “yes Dean Yendall, we’re all looking at you wherever you are!”
Across the line and it’s (11) Chilli Reaper from (1) Future Soldier, obscured, and (4) Kilmer. Paul Preusker’s tips about the likely placings turn out to be spot on!
Our post-race report from the stable assures us Briseis Eclipse pulled up “sound in action and clean in wind” which means, all being well, she should be up for at least one more start this preparation – so bring it on!
By the way dear readers, any of you who may happen to bump into Dean Yendall in the near future are welcome to give him our contact details. Tell him there are a few of us around Corio Bay with a little job we may have in mind for him.
More from Roger Lowrey can be read Here.
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Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer who lists his special interests as reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. Some of his friends think he is a little eccentric.
“sound in action and clean in wind” is an aspiration I have for myself but doubt I’ll achieve! I do enjoy a story based in community and matters equine, RDL. Given her fast finish, I’ll keep an eye out for Briseis Eclipse’s next start.
How good is country racing? I’ve especially fond memories of the Iron Knob Cup, sadly not run for decades. Friends from Kimba were part-time trainers and one of their steeds saluted in the feature at the Knob. The trophy wasn’t a cup but an engraved electric frying pan. Thanks for this.
Yes Mickey, nothing like a country racetrack even though the bookies, the tote windows and even the bars, the dunnies and especially the people are much fewer in number these days, there is still a marvelous ambience about them.
With respect to your aspirational details, perhaps you could start wearing running gear with “sonus agendo, mundus in vento” emblazoned prominently somewhere. That would give the Glenelg commentariat something to think about.
RDL
Outstanding RDL.
By golly she looked well in the mounting yard, but so did Dutton last January.
Better luck at the next track.
Got a mate who lives in Ararat. He might have been there. Huge bloke with big hair and crocodile skin boots. Did you see him?
I just adore the jockey excuses. She started well but………………………..She started badly then……………………..
Geez I enjoy country racing – so much more so than city tracks.
I’ll be watching out for her next start, RDL
Thanks for your kind thoughts gentlemen.
I shall advise you further about her next start but, as you so poignantly anticipate Dips, I can’t guarantee it will all go much better next time. BTW, given the crowd numbers and your description of your Ararat mate, it’s a bloody wonder I missed him!
As for you Smokester, kindly advise Swifty I am deeply empathetic with him at the moment having recently returned from the humidity of Cambodia and Vietnam. I shall therefore be keen to see how he copes in coming features but nowhere near as keen as I am to see the return somewhere, somehow of that steamy, smoking hot Femme Fatale of yours.
Yes, we all know who I am talking about!. I fear the author is being far too discreet with her at the moment.
RDL
I backed her.
I had a system 2-3, parlay of all 6 of Linda’s Ararat mounts. She rode two. I almost got my money back.
I’m surprised she’s calling for a senior male jockey for yours.
Yes, I was quite surprised to hear her say that too.
As it happens, we have experienced barrier issues at both her starts as well as the “non start” at Warracknabeal when the barriers malfunctioned and didn’t open properly. Preusker was nice and dirty at that as it was a smallish weaker class Maiden he thought she would probably win.
More later when we next talk.
RDL
Very entertaining all round. Especially the comments on the pics.
Good luck with her Roger, I’ll be watching her future starts. I’m with John H and find it interesting that Linda suggested it may be worthwhile putting one of the senior blokes on next start as she’s as good as any going around at the country tracks. However, I suppose changing things up can’t hurt from time to time either and it seems her feedback is very honest, to her own detriment.
I also have a small share in an unraced 2yo with Paul Preusker, so we’re looking forward to the next few months.
Cheers,
Andy
Daryl,
Thanks for that. I try to take as many pics as I can because I’m not a particularly good photographer. If I take enough there are usually plenty left over I can use with some captions to help with the narrative.
Andrew, as I responded to JTH, yes I too was surprised to hear Linda say that. She may be a bit hard on herself though as the horse already seems to have a few barrier stories so early in her career. Good luck with your own beast.
RDL