Burridge team come home one-two-three

Craig Brennan
Sunday, February 20, 2011

Trainer Steven Burridge originally had just two runners for the $95,000 Better Than Ever 2010 Handicap over 1600m but walked away with the trifecta.

The race was in danger of being scrapped through a lack of nominations before Burridge added another two runners to the field.

One of his original nominations – Alacarte – landed the money in a thrilling finish.

The Burridge trifecta: Alacarte (Sean Cormack) holds off Switchblade (Joao
Moreira) with Benji's Glory (Ronnie Stewart) back on the inside.

Ridden by Sean Cormack, Alacarte scored a half-length victory over Switchblade (Joao Moreira) with Benji’s Glory (Ronnie Stewart) a short-head away third.

“The race was in danger of being cancelled and I thought it was a good race for Alacarte,” said Burridge.

“I had Alacarte and Benji’s Glory in the original nomination and then added Switchblade and Golden Lido to keep the race on.

“The three placegetters have all run good races and the look hopes to continue their good work when they next run.”

Burridge said the weight drop – from 58kg to 54.5kg – was crucial for Alacarte getting back into winning form.

“With the big weights he just struggles a bit,” said Burridge. “And really the mile is as far as he wants.

“On his run the other day we had to step him up to the mile and this looked to be the right race.

“He won’t ever be any superstar, but he’s a good bread and butter horse and has been a good horse for Masa Otani who has been a good supporter for the stable over a number of years.”

Alacarte was a little to slow from the barriers but Cormack was able to track through the field and settle down in fourth spot behind the leaders Gustoriko (John Sundradas), The Dancer (Barend Vorster) and Benji’s Glory.

On the point of the turn Stewart pushed out into the clear on Benji’s Glory and quickly joined the leaders which in turn saw Alacarte issue his challenge.

Switchblade who was with the tailenders early began to unwind a powerful finish down the outside, but just ran out of time, while Benji’s Glory was tightened for room right on the finishing line.

A four-year-old by Umatilla from the Final Card mare Euchre, Alacarte was an A$130,000 purchase as a two-year-old and Sunday’s success, his fifth from 21 starts, took his prizemoney past the $500,000 for the Big Valley Stable.

Weight proves the key with Reel Schmick

Craig Brennan
Friday, February 25, 2011

A drop in weight paved the way for Reel Schmick returning to the winner’s list on Friday night.

Trainer Steven Burridge elected to run the New Zealand-bred gelding out of his class in the $75,000 Blackberry Cup over 1200m.

A Class 4 galloper, Burridge stepped Reel Schmick up into Class 3 company but at the same time he enjoyed a 6.5kg drop in weight.

Reel Schmick (Ronnie Stewart) backs up from last Sunday's second to go one
better on Friday night.

Ridden by Ronnie Stewart, Reel Schmick scored by a half-length over Pacino (Barend Vorster) with Treasure Hunter (Soo Khoon Beng) a length away third.

Stewart allowed Reel Schick to travel sweetly in second place behind the tearaway leader Treasure Hunter before closing on the leader soon after straightening.

The race developed into a war of attrition over the last 200m with Reel Schmick prevailing with his lightweight.

Reel Schmick was backing up from a narrow defeat just seven days earlier when carrying 57.5kg under Ronnie Stewart in Class 4 grade.

“With his 57.5kg last week I probably should have claimed on him and put Matt (Kellady) on,” said Burridge.

“Weight makes a big difference in a lot of these races and that is why I was happy to go up in grade with him.

“He is quite honest but just finding it hard to win with the weight but he’s proving a good bread and butter horse.”

Reel Schmick was having his third run back from a spell and Burridge said the gelding had been “quite lame” at the end of his last campaign.

“He had some feet problems and it took us some time to get him right,” said Burridge.

“He’s right now and he’s shown with his three runs that he’s come back in good form.”

Burridge said he had no hesitation in backing up Reel Schmick following his narrow loss just seven days earlier.

“He’s a bit timid in some ways but he has proven in the past that he can back-up,” said Burridge.

“He ate up over the weekend so I wasn’t concerned in backing him up again in this race.”

Reel Schmick is a four-year-old by Country Reel from the Azzaam mare Splendifico and has won two of his seven starts with a further four minor placings with prizemoney of around $100,000 for Burridge who is also the owner.

Last roll of dice pays off for Malaysia-bound Sinseven

Michael Lee
Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sinseven earned his ticket to Malaysia with a timely first success at his ninth start on Sunday.

The Kashani four-year-old has been in the words of his trainer Steven Burridge a “disappointment” since his debut last June, with a second at his third run as his only salient performance of note.

Tested over a variety of distances up to the metric mile, one of the few remaining horses of former champion horse owner Lim’s Stable, Sinseven ($18)finally opened his account with the application of blinkers for the first time in the $35,000 Maiden race (1200m) on Polytrack. He recorded the winning time of 1min 12.24secs.

Sinseven (Joao Moreira) gets the better of Bionic Warrior (Barend Vorster) in
the final stages to claim Race 2 on Sunday.

Burridge however declared straight after the win that the gelding’s future now lay up North, especially as that win would have boosted his ratings from 47 past the minimum rating requirement for cross-border relocation to Malaysia – 49.

“That was his last run for us. He’s going to Malaysia after that,” said Burridge.

“The Lim’s Stable is getting out of racing and it was already the plan for him to go up.

“He should be able to win up there. It’s good we were able to squeeze a win out of him before he leaves.”

Burridge said they had run out of bullets finding the right winning formula and “desperation” was ironically the recipe for success on Sunday.

“He’s been a very disappointing horse. We dropped him back in distance out of desperation,” said Burridge.

“We actually put the blinkers on out of desperation, too, not really knowing if it would work. It was a last roll of the dice.

“It was a weak field and the fact they went mad in front played into his hands.”

Moreira said he only rode the Malaysia-bound gelding to Burridge’s instructions and was glad he had climbed astride another winner – his 18^th – in his bid to peg back current leader Vlad Duric (24 wins) to defend his 2010 title.

“Steve told me he’s not a very good horse but the field was not very good either,” said the Brazilian jockey.

“He told me to ride him quiet from behind and start my run at the top of the straight. Well, he may be a bad horse, but today he had gears and finished very well.”

The speed battle between Bionic Warrior (Barend Vorster), Bold Rob (John Powell) and Three Cheers (Mohd Zaki) ensured a frantic pace that had Moreira smoking his pipe in sixth on the fence. The $16 favourite Bionic Warrior shook off his pesky challengers upon straightening, but just could not keep it up when Sinseven came charging home on the outside at the 300m.

Sinseven pegged him back at the 50m before sticking his neck in front on the line, with Bold Rob a space away in third.