Shoot Out misfires at the Valley
Andrew Eddy
September 8, 2010
If Shoot Out's sole purpose was to have a good look at the Moonee Valley circuit and the surrounds yesterday morning, then he performed splendidly. For if he had been taken there to stake his claim to next month's Cox Plate, he would have convinced none of the on-lookers.
For a few moments after he pulled up following his sightseeing tour around the track, his most affable trainer John Wallace was struggling for the right words and it took track rider Dan Wheeler to break the semi-silence as he returned the horse to the mounting yard.
''It [track] takes a bit of getting used to,'' he told Wallace.
Shoot Out's main goal yesterday was simply to acquaint himself with the track where, in just over six weeks, he runs for Cox Plate glory. But the magnificent four-year-old was anything but comfortable at his track debut. The markers were out wide but there was no sign of the galloper's customary fluid motion as he jerked his way around the turns.
Wallace was nonplussed by it all. ''I didn't know much about the joint so I don't know how he went myself,'' he said. ''I told him [Wheeler] not to kill him. Let him look at it and work home the last bit.
''I think it will help him, hell yeah. This horse has never been on a float to go anywhere to gallop in his life other than a barrier trial or raceday so he wouldn't know what he was doing this morning.
''He's ready to go. He'll be right once he gets a few horses around him.''
On Saturday, Shoot Out has his fourth run this preparation in the group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. But Wallace is now tempted to take the horse back to the Valley later this month to further educate him.
''I might even run him in the JRA Cup the night before the [AFL] grand final so I'm not going too far between [runs]. He'll get 60 kilos but he'll get another look [at Moonee Valley],'' said Wallace, who is convinced he has the right horse for a Cox Plate.
''Every Cox Plate I've seen, the strongest horse wins so it'll be a battle to the end and you've got to make a long run - they've got to stand a good run and I'm sure this horse can do that.''
Not long after Shoot Out came off the track, Cox Plate favourite So You Think had his turn and while he hardly sizzled either, he caught the attention as always.
''[So You Think] looks the main one and he'll improve too but I think he looked pretty ready the other day and he had a soft run and we had a hard run. I'm not frightened of him,'' Wallace said.
But if times were the main indicator, So You Think will beat Shoot Out in next month's Cox Plate by about 150 lengths.
While So You Think, who will be reserved for Saturday week's Underwood Stakes at Caulfield, galloped home relatively sedately in recording 26.12 seconds for his final 400 metres, Shoot Out failed to break even time as he managed the final part of his trip in 31.65.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/shoot-out-misfires-at-the-valley-20100907-14zjv.html