The first 2yo races of the season in Sydney is the
Gr3 BREEDERS PLATE 1000m for the boys and
Gr3 GIMCRACK 1000m for the girls.
Hopes, Dreams and Expectations of Owners have
nerves jingling that their
“babies” can stand up to the pressure and be countered on the big stage.
It’s such an enormous task to ask young horses to progress through from their
“kindergarten” breaking-in stages, then onto the barrier trials and survive that experience, to present into the first race of the year in Sydney.
Of the thousands of yearlings sold earlier this year, only
14 boys will line up in the
Gr3 Breeders Plate and
12 girls in the
Gr3 Gimcrack.
In the Breeders Plate 8 of the 14 are trial winners, 5 ran 2nd and 1 ran 3rd.
Dynamic Syndications will present a genuine competitor on Saturday in the Breeders Plate.
Our Colt
HARD TO SAY is our colt by
EXCEED AND EXCEL ex MALASUN, a
$160,000 Magic Millions yearling from the Eureka Stud draft, he was the first yearling we have given to our
wonderful horseman and Team Member JASON DEAMER at Newcastle.
Dynamic Trainer - JASON DEAMER
Jason has done a terrific job with our colt, and
HARD TO SAY now lines up as a
genuine competitor against his peers.
Jockey Sam Clipperton has been booked for the ride.
Nothing in life comes easy, and it has been a challenge to get
HARD TO SAY to face the starter in the
Breeders Plate.
Our team also needed to accept with
HARD TO SAY in the 2yo race in Brisbane on Saturday, where we have
Ryan Wiggins booked and he has drawn
barrier 1 which is a huge advantage for a baby.
We believe he would be
extremely competitive in that race and only bad luck would stand between him and victory.
Normally he would have put him straight on the truck to race up there, especially since he is also
QTIS qualified, and the race carries QTIS bonuses. This could have given him vital prizemoney towards qualifying for the
Magic Millions race in January.
However as hard a decision as it was, we have chosen to
stay in Sydney because of
predicted significant rain due over the coming days in Brisbane.
If the rain does arrive, the prediction is up to 60mils which would see a
Heavy 10 surface, or the races even abandoned.
It would be
“too hard” on
HARD TO SAY to trek up to Brisbane and
slog through the mud after the 9-hour long road trip then another 9-hours to come home.
We believe that would over tax him and it may put us too far behind in our game plan to qualify for the Millions next time through, after a couple of weeks off.
Our goal was always the Gr3 Breeders Plate.
The main reasons behind nominating for Brisbane was that
we were doubtful we would gain a run in the Breeders Plate due to an unforeseen, poorly thought through Racing NSW anomaly, where this year, due to COVID quarantine rules, our connections were the innocent victims.
To gain a start in the Breeders Plate, a point system is generated for all city 2yo trials with 3 points to the winner, 2 for second and 1 for third.
Horses with a point score have precedence to gain a start in the Breeders Plate or the Gimcrack.
Usually that’s fine and those who don’t trial in town run the risk of missing out and many provincial and country trained 2yo’s compete at the Official 2yo trials.
However, this year, we had intended to nominate for the ATC Official Trials with
HARD TO SAY but hit a stumbling block.
Jason Deamer being based at Newcastle, was
not allowed to attend the
Randwick trials due to restrictions. So, we would have been forced to put
HARD TO SAY on a truck to Sydney, then ask another stable’s staff member who knows nothing of our horse, to take him off the truck, and stay with him, saddle him up, trial him and stick him back on the truck.
Nobody’s eye is as good as Jason’s, who knows our colt back to front.
We needed Jason to see how HARD TO SAY (a) travelled down, (b) pulled up post trial in fitness, (c) care for him post-race before putting him back on the truck to Newcastle.
We considered the risks
far to great for a horse we have a big opinion of.
Racing NSW were not prepared to make allowance this year for race eligibility to allow 2yo trialled horses outside the metro area to have their placings count towards race eligibility.
We knew that 5 days earlier, there were to be a
2yo barrier trial scheduled at Scone, where Jason could drive our colt to the trials, be with him pre and post-trial, observe his body language, and travel him directly home.
We chose this safer option rather than risking the horse by sending him unattended to Sydney.
HARD TO SAY trialled as expected, like a potential top colt should. The track was officially rated a Soft 7 but forget that rating, riders on the day were reporting the outside of the course proper as a bog, riding like a Heavy 9 or 10 due to significant overnight rain.
His trial over 900m was excellent, jumping away on terms, restrained from the lead, pulled back a couple of lengths, made good ground around turn, and ran away to record a soft win with his best work past the line. The best part was the effort didn’t take a toll, he didn’t blow too much after the run.
HARD TO SAY - Trial win photo
However as impressive as the trial was to the eye, rider Lee Magorrian commented that the horse was uncomfortable on the mud heap and his wheels were spinning a lot in the run but handled it enough and class got him through.
This feedback was a significant consideration in us
avoiding a predicted Heavy 10 in Brisbane.
Since the trial, Jason has implemented his incredible care and attention to detail as nothing is left to chance.
HARD TO SAY
HARD TO SAY’S work leading into this event since the trial has been first class and Jason will deliver our colt to the races in immaculate order. His last piece of work leaves us with no doubt
HARD TO SAY will be up for the challenge and will present in superb order.
Bred to be a serious 2yo contender, HARD TO SAY is by the World Champion Sire of 2yo’s EXCEED AND EXCEL from the brilliant early 2yo Stakes Winning Filly MALASUN, a daughter of RED RANSOM.
ARBEITSAM
This is the
same cross as our horse
ARBEITSAM (Danehill over Red Ransom) who won 7 races and over $1.1m.
MALASUN won the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) on debut whilst the
exact cross has produced
4 Stakes Winners including Gr3 Blue Diamond Prelude Winner
LIMESTONE.
HARD TO SAY has the natural speed capable of eyeballing the leaders or taking a sit on pace, so Sam Clipperton will have plenty of options plus the handy draw from barrier 7 should see
HARD TO SAY in a forward position throughout.
If we can be within 3 lengths of the leaders at the 300m, we are sure he will have the strength and speed to allow
our crew of Lady Owners to have
a shout and a cheer.
We were amazed (
and very appreciative) of the
generous odds posted when betting opened rating him at
$61 which has quickly been claimed as we believe he is a far stronger competitor than that and his current price of
$41 is generous.
Taking on the
“best of the best” is always a challenge and the big stables have some
magnificent colts lining up that
cost significantly more than out colt.
Calico Jack
|
$425,000
|
One Destiny
|
$5,000 |
Emperor
|
$460,000
|
Psychiartrist
|
$1,050,000
|
Hard To Say
|
$160,000
|
Resonator
|
$360,000
|
Kibou
|
$170,000
|
Sejardan
|
$160,000
|
Master Showman
|
Not Sold
|
Spacewalk
|
Not Sold
|
Narnia
|
$600,000
|
Victory Moments
|
Not Sold
|
Nipotino
|
$280,000
|
Zambezi River
|
$1,150,000
|
However,
horses do not know how much you pay for them, and the
proof of value arrives as the
gates crash back and the camera flashes at the winning post.
We are under
no illusions that this class will be a
significant challenge, but it does give us a good test as to what level
HARD TO SAY could reach and what to be aimed towards.
We wish connections of all runners in the Breeders Plate and Gimcrack fair running so their horses have uninterrupted passage to perform to their best.
"Girls want to have fun !"
Finally, we anticipate our Dynamic Lady Owners of HARD TO SAY will have great excitement leading into their race: Dynamic Ladies (Mrs F K Watt), Mrs C Freeman, Mrs A T Woollett, Mrs B A Reid, Mrs K Corby, Mrs H Corby.
Go Girls – Keep Living the Dream!