A tidy 3rd over 1300m, 7th Feb 2013

Nothing to write home about with this run, but he put in a nice effort to run into 3rd place. Next start up to 1400m on 17th Feb and then we will see how he handles a 1600m.

2nd over 1100m, 13th Jan

Sonny bounced back with a much better run than the disappointing attempt to be with the leaders last start. Forder had him back off the pace on the dead track (cyclone on it's way in) and from the outside gate.

The leaders went hard in the middle section of the race and the field really strung out. 

Forder had to really get to work on him as he was dropping further back as they started to sprint up. He got working into the race well and aimed for a break on the outside, then changed tacts and came through the center. 

A very tidy race....we liked that he got back and finished home well.

It all goes wrong over 1200m, 3rd Jan

It all started to unfold horribly wrong.

We asked Kyra to push Sonny forward and take up a leading position in our attempt to get him back into the winners circle.  He had drawn well in gate 3, and we hoped he would find himself at the top of the straight on the leaders outdside and then push forward around them.

But that was not the way he saw it. 

He jumped perfectly again, and took up the perfect spot on the outside of the leader. After having to be really hunted up to stay in the race at the corner, Sonny just gave it away after looking promising at the top of the straight. 

It was probably his worst run of his career.

Back to the drawing board.....

A craking opener....

In another stride he would have won the race. A really top run to start off his 2013 campaign.

He jumped perfect again, and landed in the ideal spot with the leaders going inside and outside of him to set the pace.
Forder let him drop out a little, but kept him in the race pushing him from the 800m onwards.

Coming around the corner he was been pushed hard and it was clear he was going to be in the finish if he could find space.

Forder took a line just outside the leader and pushed forward. He was cut off, and then peeled around the back of the tiring horse. It looked hopeless with 150m to go, and then Sonny let down and came with a wooosh. He was coming hard and in another stride he would have landed the prize.

It was a great 1st run back after another injury and we look set for a good campaign.

 

Sonny is BACK!!!!!!

After the long and worrying battle coming back from the broken foot, and a couple of very unlucky runs (and empty pockets) Sonny has broken through for a really well deserved win. 

Jumping from the outside gate (7), he let loose with his customary brilliant starting speed and then waltzed into the lead with the rest of the field just dawdling behind him. We had anticipated this may happen, and instructed the jock to make a judgement call if there was nothing wanting to lead.

He did just that, with nothing inside leading, and him sitting in front out wide he just let Sonny roll forward into the lead.

Coming into around the corner, Farrell had his mind on the game and shook him up and gave him a few cracks to hold off Lady Savanna. He then settled down to hold out the field and went to the line full of running.

 

SONNY IS BACK!!

G'Yup

An agonizing 2nd, Race 9

This was going to be the day. The return of Sonny to the winners circle. We were all punting, everything looked perfect including the draw, and the Day and Allen crowd had snuggled into a pub in Dunsborough in Sth WA to cheer him on. Tickets in hand.

From the jump it looked perfect with Sonny flying the gates again. Then things began to look a little different than our game plan. Hometown decided to make it a sprint from the outset and took off into the lead, stringing the field out and leaving us exposed running 3 back on the fence in an Indian line. 

Coming past the 600m it was still a line, but a couple of the backmarkers had started to move forward and Sonny was then jammed on the fence. It was not looking good, and swinging into the corner we had all started to look anxiously for the gap to open up and let him out. 

Meeres saw a small gap and pushed Sonny into it. He had to bullock his way in, and in the pub we were all screaming. The whole place was now watching in, as we all rode him into the clear and shouted even louder when he hit the front.

But coming down the outside with a trouble-free run was last years top Gero sprinter. Bali Cruiser cruised past us, throwing a bucket of water over the 30 family members lined up under the screen in the pub, and pushing our spirits under water.

We will live to fight another day and Sonny will be back.

G'Yup

First race back from the broken foot

Today was a very big day in the life of Sonny. Having being nursed back from the broken foot, and having come through his preparation and 2 trials without any issues, it was time to see if he still had the fight to win and whether he was good enough to do so.

I was back in Gero for xmas, and it was my first time to see Sonny race.

My "voodoo" on track is well known, and the bookies turned him out a couple of points as a sign of respect that when I am on track my horses cannot win. 

Our game plan was simple, jump, sit-in, power home.

He absolutely blitzed the start and was a clear leader from gate #1 over the 1300m. Meeres then settled him down, and he dropped the bit and lobbed along just off the pace on the fence.


The disaster struck. Bali Cruisers rider pushed into the lead and then put the brakes on. The horses that were in front  pushed off to go outside of it, and Bali Cruiser came back into the front of Sonny. He got a horrid check and was pushed back 2-3lengths. This was at a crucial time when the rest of the field was moving forward. It cost us dearly and meant that the jock had to get him settled, re-aligned, and then moving forward again.

A gap opened as we rounded the corner, but Sonny "baulked" at it...refusing to go into it, so Meeres switched him back to the rails and rode him home.

He came home nicely, but the race was already over after the check. 

We finished a close up 7th with a wall of other horses. Had we not being checked, I think he would have won.

The Gods are still playing games with me...note to Lodgers...keep me off the track

G'Yup

PS He looked a treat. 

Snap-Crackle-Pop....the foot is broke

Today was heartbreaking. 

We went into the race with the wind behind us, thinking we had the field covered, and the guns came out to back our Champ. 

His run was perfect. Settling back off the pace, and coming into the straight with the wind behind him. But disaster has dealth us a cruel blow. I'm not able to write much more, as Sonny has broken a bone in his foot. It is bad. We are unsure of what this means at this stage, but he has been one hell of a soldier and this is not the way to go out.

We will look at options over the next few days after the Wizard knows more.

Race 6, 1200m Geraldton

We got caught very wide and the jockey was forced to push Sonny forward to take a position in front. On a day when the front runners got rolled over, Sonny entered into the straight in front but then got worn down by both Rachine and Spy Story to finish up in 3rd place. It was a good effort on the day.

Sonny Race 5

Race 5 ....2nd by a short head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be7MvMpFYFE

Sonny stepped out for his second run this campaign and acquitted himself very well to lead from the beginning but just get caught before the line, running second by a short head.
He lugged top weight of 59kg and did all the work from the outside barrier to get to the front and lead the race.

Damian shot him out like a rocket, and he was freewheeling in front in unfamiliar territory.

At the top of the straight he was left exposed and fought off the first wave of attackers before Mio Fratello loomed outside and ran him down. It was a solid run and he should improve from it for his next start.

Race 1 Campaign 2

Sonny stepped out for his first start in the new campaign. Things started off pretty well with him showing his explosive start and he lobbed beautifully. The field was a very strong one, and passing the 600m a lot of horses were pushing forward starting their runs with Sonny stuck back in a bit of traffic.

Coming around the corner, they were all flying but Sonny did not get a clear run to have a crack. Had he got out, he still would not have made it to win but he may have finished a little closer up to the winner.

A good first up run to build upon and he took no damage from the run.

G'Yup
Slacka

Race 1, Campaign 2

Sonny is set to step out at Geraldton for his first campaign for the year. He has had a great long break, grew his woolly coat, and came back a little bigger and stronger. After quite a long preparation he had a satisfactory trial and is now poised to open his account.

All aboard, for those with a ticket :)

G'Yup

Race #3 Video

Race # 3. Ascot March 6th 2010. Oh so close

What a heart pounder!! Here for the result.

Young Sonny raced courageously in his first city outing in finishing a close 2nd to the fast finishing Saytorio. It was pretty much as we had established pre-race. We had the field covered but did not know how good Saytorio was, and we found out that he is pretty damn smart. There are big wraps around the city for him and although he got us, Sonny held out the rest of the field.

He had to do a fair bit of work early in making the position on the outside of Prosaic. Watching the replay over and over again you can see it was a very smart move by Alan Kennedy, the jock on Saytorio, to drop out of the leaders race and assume the one-out one-back spot from which he launched the final attack.

They clocked a 1:10:41 for the race, that was a little slower than the main 1200m of the day 1:09:94 and quite a lot slower than the 2yos who ran a cracking 1:09:35. Sonny's closing 35:32 was a bit slower than I thought he was capable of, and showed that he ran out of fuel towards the end.

The forward plan is a spell for a couple of months and then back as a stronger 4yo.

Two from Two

That was a brilliant second start win over 1100m in a time of 1:06:17.

Sonny has now broken through all the early hoodoo’s. Debut winner from a 1200m death gate, and he wins his next start after a maiden win that is just so hard to do. 2 starts 2 wins. 100% strike rate. This little horse has got a huge depth to him. Anyone care that he is little... Hehe!!

Today was a game of cat and mouse. He was the mouse and the cats were too slow. We saw again his raw gate speed...he just flew the barriers, his “sleep” mode, and then his power at the finish. He went to the line full of running and had that 3yo field well and truly covered.

The ride by Damian Lane was perfect and the kid showed poise to just let him roll to the front when it was clear Shazza was not going to match him early. Damian stayed very quiet through the corner and then gave him the first shake and crack after they rounded. He booted clear from Chief of War and then was sort of waiting for the pack to come. He only really got moving again over that final 150m when the late brigade came bearing down. But he booted away so cleanly that it makes me think he is still learning. We will keep our eye on Chief of War who showed tremendous maturity and guts for a horse having it's first race start.


Gyup
Slacka

A record worth displaying

A win on Debut

Sonny has opened his racing career with a brilliant win on debut over 1200m.


Starting from barrier 9 he exploded out of the gates and settled in a nice position one back and one off the fence. Roy had him nicely poised coming into the home turn and pushed him forward around the pace maker. Born a Diva mounted a strong challenge as they straightened and it turned into a two horse war with Sonny digging deeper and giving more to take out the maiden event by a half length in 1:12:59.


It was a very polished performance by our young gun and the ride by Roy was absolutely perfect. As he always does, Clive had Sonny turned out looking a treat and we have to tip our hats to the wizard who has done it again. The patience we showed in giving him those 3 trials has payed off for us.

There was a lot of excitement leading up to the start with wobbly legs, butterflies in stomachs, racing hearts and these were the owners not Sonny!! With a group of virgin owners, it was understandably a pretty exciting few days leading up to the race and then the race itself.

I've heard there is a video of one of the owners watching the race that would be a priceless vid to get hold of.

After the race the celebrations kicked in with a little buzz happening all over the globe from Perth, to Singapore, to Sydney, to San Francisco, and closing in Paris. I think we are still all celebrating, and as Crabs says "this replay has had more reruns than Dallas". There is a real buzz around this cracking opener and we are all in for a real fun time ahead.

Some of the memorable debut quotes:
"Great ride, great guts, great result!!"
"YA - BLOODY -HOO!
I did shit myself!
Wot a Champ!"
"Boyz, I don't know how you feel but I'm fair dinkum shittin' myself!"

Final results of the race here.

Sonny race record here.


Report above from http://www.grassrootsracingwa.com/

Trial #2 Update

Sonny ran 2nd in his trial today in blustery conditions at Geraldton. Results here. To sum it up briefly he got squashed and flattened at the start, and from that point on he had to work hard throughout the rest of the trip.

Sonny knew what today was all about and was a real handful for Clive in the saddling yard and stalls. He was kicking the back of the stall and was full of fire. It was clear he knew what he was there for.

There was a big field contesting the trial and one of the other horses has a history of bad behavior and lived up to it's rotten reputation with an appalling display behind the barriers. Sonny was one of the first horses into the gates, and Roy said he was "ready to go" from the outset, pushing up hard up against the front of the gate.

The clerk and handlers could not get the rotten egg into the stalls. He was going in, then backing out for a good 5mins. It was a painful period for all. Sonny though, settled in well, probably too well. The starter decided to let the trial go without the rotten egg, and when they jumped Sonny was completely flat footed.

There were two much bigger horses on either side of Sonny, and when he jumped flat, they "squeezed" him and nearly put him onto his nose. Not an ideal opening at all. Roy said he had to really work hard to pick himself up, and then worked very hard on the outside of the field in order to stay in the race.

Sonny finished off well running into second position and has returned to the stables with no visible damage. He ate up well, which tells us he took no adverse mental affect from the hard going.

Whilst Clive was hoping for another easy trial, things do not always turn out the way we hope. As it is, Sonny has really had to work hard and found out that it's not all bells and whistles out there. In addition, he is not the biggest framed horse so will always get bustled around more than the others.

Clive will be looking to trial Sonny once more time after today's tough run. He wants to be sure Sonny took no hardship and will still get out there and be competitive.

We also have to see how his shins are as Clive reminded me that he may pull up a little sore.

The next trial is on the 28th of January, so we will be pushing forward towards that date.

Sonny on Track for Trial #2

All things are moving smoothly along with Sonny and he is set to trial this coming Sunday 10th at Geraldton.

Clive has been doing pace work with him over the last week, which is solid work to prep him for the trial. He will have a working gallop (=fast work) on Tuesday and then pace work on Thu. Fri/Sat resting and then trial Sunday.

Just a little note on his "form line". At Sonny;s first trial winner was Freo Doctor see here. Freo Doctor raced at Geraldon this week and won first up see here. This just shows that the trial was a good indicator and places Sonny well.

I'll try and get a video shot of the trial for us all.

Giddy Up
Slacka