SHE'LL BE RIGHT ON THE MONEY

SHE'LL BE RIGHT cruises to the line an easy winner at Ascot on Wednesday with Takehide Ikenushi on board. (Photo courtesy Hollands Photographics)

It is not very often that we produce a $90.00 winner at Ascot and no disrespect intended to the stallion, but even less often that the winner happens to be the progeny of Right Wing.

That was the case at Ascot on Wednesday when SHE'LL BE RIGHT was successful first up over 1400m in a 3yo race for fillies. The filly had shown only limited ability as a two year old but was always able to show speed. I have always maintained that if a horse has some speed then somewhere along the line there will be a race where conditions will suit it.

That was the case on Wednesday when the filly I paid only six or seven thousand dollars for just over 12 months ago, stepped out at Ascot over 1400m in a race where there was no apparent pace. Takehide Ikenushi was able to roll to the front at a very leisurely pace and after literally walking for the first half of the race, he sprinted clear on the corner and was never put under full pressure at the end of the race.

The filly had been pleasing in her work and looked in top class order in the mounting yard before the race so anyone with an eye for a good looker would have had a dollar or two on her. Unfortunately muggins here had been on the outer as far as the punt was concerned of late and was to mean to part with a dollar or two to have on her. I guess the fact that I own the filly and the fact that she collected a $7,500 Westspeed bonus was some consolation. As far as I am concerned, paying up for any horse in the Westspeed scheme is like having a $1000 punt which happens to last for two years and sometimes more.

The filly has pulled up well and we will keep her racing in similar company to see if she can reproduce the excellent first up performance.

HOOFNOTE. After the race Takehide Ikenushi was fined $500 for slowing the pace of the race at the 800m point of the race. Now I haven't been in to view the stewards patrol film as yet and go over the race to make my own judgement however on first impressions I can't say that I agree with them. I accept that the pace was slow and that horses were racing keenly throughout the race however I believe "Ike" went slow the whole way and never actually slowed the pace. I will look at the film before I go any further.