Owners and Punters alike were convinced only bad luck would stand in the way of our 3yo Filly RAPT and the Winners Circle on Friday at Taree and thanks to a terrific ride by Ash Morgan, our Jason Deamer trained 3yo filly looked a class above in the parade and won accordingly.
RAPT won Race 6 - STACKS LAW FIRM SUPER MAIDEN PLATE 1250m
Of $50,000. 1st $22,000 + BOBS Bonus $5,625, Good 4 Time: 1:14.49 Last 600m: 36.90
RAPT 3yo Bay Filly (by More Than Ready / Ghenwaa) took her Career Record: 5 Starts: 1:3:0 & Prizemoney $56,725
RAPT (3yo Filly) ($1.70 Fav) Ash Morgan WON by 1.52 lengths over OAKFIELD BADGER (4yo Gelding) ($3.6) Aaron Bullock with AIN’T SHE SWELL (4yo Mare) ($10) Andrew Gibbons 3.29 Lengths away in third.
1st of 14 TAR 20Oct23 1250m Good4 SUPER MDN-SW $50,000 ($27,625) Ashley Morgan 55kg Bar11 2nd Oakfield Badger 59kg, 3rd Ain't She Swell 57kg 1:14.49 (600m 36.90), 1.52L, 6th@800m, 5th@400m, $1.90/$1.70/$1.65/$1.70
RAPT as the gates crashed back hesitated slightly and missed start. After the first few hops was second last, one and three-quarter lengths off the speed on settling.
Biz Class then scooted to the front injecting a fast tempo forcing RAPT to be back with the cap catchers third last, 4 lengths off the pace.
Ash Morgan allowed the early speed to surge, giving RAPT the room worse than mid-field, to start to work across from her bad draw.
Trapped 5 horses wide passing the 1000m marker, and 4 lengths off the pace, Ash made his move that proves why he is such a good horseman. He pushed the button and rode our filly along getting a length clear of those that were keeping him wide early. That allowed RAPT to work over to be three off the fence but had cover three pairs back in the perfect trailing position passing the 950m, as the field started their swing out of the back straight.
Then the leading division created a two-length break on the midfield pack, and as quick as a wink, Ash pushed forward 3 deep which allowed him free air to slot over to sit in the running line, one horse off the fence. The perfect ride from the barrier, in fact you’ll be waiting a long time to find a better one.
Now having established his position by the 900m, Ash grabbed hold of our filly and she responded kindly to drop the speed tempo she had to display to get into this ideal position.
At this point, Biz Class had established a 3-length lead in front over eventual runner-up Oakfield Badger with a further length back Sheik It Up the fence, and a half-length to Zedari, with a length break Bellabatoota outside RAPT with a further length back to Paziah on the fence and then the rest of the pack spread out over a further 5 lengths trying to keep in touch.
Despite the fast early tempo, all runners had now established their positions and Ash just sat and watched it unfold in front of him, saving petrol knowing that his filly was travelling sweetly under saddle.
At the 500m mark the jockeys started to make their moves as the field began to swing into the home turn.
The margin of the leader Biz Class had been whittled down to a length as Oakfield Badger, who had received a lovely trail, started to get closer. Zedari was at its girth 3 deep with Bellabatoota 4 deep at its girth. Ash had positioned RAPT to be tracking-up behind these front runners, and was now 3 lengths off the pace and full of running and she was tagging the second favourite Oakfield Badger into the straight.
Instead of switching wide and stuck 5 deep to get a run around the four runners in front, Ash switched back underneath these peers, to be one off the fence on the back of Oakfield Badger as the field thundered around the home turn.
As the field balanced up for the 340m run home, Ash angled 3 deep again to be off the heels of Oakfield Badger, who by this stage had reeled in Biz Class and swept to the lead.
RAPT was now up to third and had the new leader in her sights but was spotting that runner at least two and a half lengths as the leader passed the 300m.
Ash just kept our filly balanced and had not asked her for an effort until the 250m where he pushed the go-button and our filly extended beautifully.
In a couple of bounds she reeled in the leader, who was now fully extended and laid out under pressure to impede our filly.
Ash saw Oakfield Badger start to wobble, so steered out wider to avoid interference and keep her in a rhythm.
Passing the 100m Ash was just riding hands and heels as she has swept past Oakfield Badger and there was nothing coming out of the ruck to give chase.
The race was effectively all over and Ash gave RAPT the easiest of times to the line, moving away with every stride as the gap widened to 1.52 lengths as she trotted-up to get the camera to flash, with Oakfield Badger hanging on to run second and, in then in a blanket go for third, Ain’t She Swell stuck her nose out but was 3.29 lengths away from RAPT.
It was a masterful ride by Ash to give our 3yo filly an ideal run in transit and the class of our filly shone through as she responded for an empathetic victory.
Placed to perfection here, this event was one of these new Super Maidens worth a massive $50,000 in total and $22,000 to the winner + BOBS Bonus of $5,625 if the horse is eligible which our filly is.
So, our Owners banked $27,625 for winning a Maiden event at Taree.
She was a class above her opposition on raceform leading into this event, and it was only the potential of the two unraced trial winners Oakfield Badger and Ain’t She Swell that we had to contend with.
3yo’s, especially fillies, are at a distinct disadvantage pre-Christmas simply due to their lack of physical development compared to 4yo’s and older horses, especially the males.
3yo Fillies in such events must carry the limit of 55.0kgs and only receive a 1.5kgs weight relief against 3yo males where they would receive 2.0kgs weight relief under normal circumstances. At Weight-For-Age a 3yo in October would receive a 5.5kgs weight relief and 7.5kgs for fillies against the males so to be asked to carry 55.0kgs against older males who carry 59.0kgs the 4.0kgs weight relief is nowhere near the 7.5kgs they should be entitled to. They are 3.5kgs worse off which equates to 2.4 lengths.
So, for any 3yo filly to run in races open to older horses and to males and beat them shows that these fillies are well above average.
She was certainly due this success. She had run 3 seconds previously, twice at the provincials and once at Warwick Farm beaten a head by a subsequent Stakes Winner and was then just 3 lengths away in a Stakes Race. Dropping back to country class under the set weights conditions, she was ideally placed however the poor barrier still required a good ride from Ash Morgan however Ash excelled, and his ride was 10 out of 10.
Congratulations to our Newcastle based Trainer JASON DEAMER for presenting our filly in such wonderful condition and she raced accordingly.
CONGRATULATIONS also to her ALL LADIES Co-Ownership Team: Dynamic Ladies, Mrs C Freeman, Mrs A T Woollett, Mrs K Corby, Mrs M Whitton, Mrs B Krezo, Ms L I Kennedy, Mrs T M O'Sullivan, Mrs M Seminara, Mrs B Cooper, Mrs B A Reid, Ms L Woollett
Rapt - Winner 20.10.23 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
This win was our second victory of the day, having earlier won Race 3 at Canberra with debutant 3yo Filly UP TO MISCHIEF.
The WIN by RAPT was Dynamic Win number 19 for the new racing season and our 847th Race Win Overall.
RAPT was our 296th Individual Race Winner from 334 Individual Runners = 88.6% Winners:Runners.
Onwards & Upwards