Corstens In, But Wary Of Bart Magic
The Age
Saturday April 19, 2008
LEON Corstens will saddle up his first runner in the Golden Slipper Stakes today, but he fears that his former boss Bart Cummings might spoil any further celebrations later this afternoon. "We're in and we're hoping, but gee, that horse of Bart's worries me," he said yesterday.
Corstens' filly Siennas Fury was elevated into the field yesterday following the scratching of Stripper but the trainer said he was trying to temper his excitement with a reality shot."I am a realistic sort of bloke and so we can only hope that things fall her way, really," he said. "I mean, that horse of Bart's (Related) looks very impressive to me. If he handles the wet at all, it'll take a pretty big performance to beat him."But all the same, we're in and so we're a chance as it looks the most open Slipper I can remember."Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy said yesterday that Stripper was withdrawn from today's $3.5 million race after her trainer David Payne was forced to treat her hoof abscess with antibiotics.Murrihy said that Krupt also had a small foot abscess but would have a veterinary examination before the 7.30am scratching time this morning, while the unbeaten filly Augusta Proud was given the all-clear to take her place as she had pulled up a little sore following her Magic Millions win last month on the Gold Coast.Corstens knows a thing or two about the Cummings' genius as he worked for many years as Cummings' Melbourne foreman. He was in that position when Cummings took Century Miss north to Sydney to win the 1979 Golden Slipper."He knows how to peak his horses, that's for sure," Corstens said. "(Related is) inexperienced with only having the one run but what he did the other day when he got squeezed out and then finished like a train, well, only very good horses do that."Siennas Fury was put on the float bound for Sydney on Thursday night after Corstens learned there were queries over Stripper and Krupt."She arrived about three or four o'clock in the morning and everything went well," he said. "A few hours later, I got a call from Racing Services to tell me that we'd got a start, so I'm glad we took the punt to come."Corstens said punters should not dismiss Siennas Fury on her last run when seventh behind Hips Don't Lie at Canterbury. "She seemed to slip shortly after the start and scrambled for about 20 or 30 metres. It just put her out of the race."Siennas Fury, who won the Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude, attracted little interest at yesterday's Call Of The Card, which was highlighted by a bet to win $1 million on She's Meaner by Sydney's biggest punter Sean Bartholomew.He backed She's Meaner at $13, claiming he rated it a $9 chance, while Bartholomew also supported outsider Sidereus and Melbourne filly Burgeis.Trainer John O'Shea is certain about one thing concerning his star galloper Racing To Win, who today takes on Weekend Hussler in the group 1 George Ryder Stakes. "He'll run very well," he said. "The only problem is that running very well might not be enough in a race like this."O'Shea's galloper is seen as the biggest danger to Weekend Hussler's tilt at equalling Kingston Town's record of six group 1 wins in the one season. While O'Shea said he could not be happier with the horse, he said he has no illusions about the grey's task in adding another Ryder Stakes to his record after winning the race in 2006."The competition is going to be very tough to overcome, especially if the track becomes very wet because then the weight advantage the three-year-old enjoys (2.5 kilograms) might become crucial," O'Shea said.O'Shea said Racing To Win would contest the All Aged Stakes at Randwick in two weeks to round off his campaign.
© 2008 The Age
