Mr. Feelgood finishes close third in final start

Smoken Up spoiled Mr. Feelgood's swan song at Tapcorp Park Menangle on Friday night north of Sydney, Australia, but just barely. Smoken Up, who finished third in the 2010 Inter Dominion in Australia after racing parked for the entire 2,300-meter distance after starting from post 10, won the $100,000(Aus.) Len Smith Mile in 1:50 9/10ths, with Tanabi Bromac taking second and Mr. Feelgood third.

 

The three horses finished on the wire, only a half-length apart, after a stirring late stretch drive battle. Mr. Feelgood actually finished second, but was placed third after a protest, which reversed the order.

 

Smoken Up, a 7-year-old gelding by Tinted Cloud, loves the Menangle seven-eighths mile oval and showed it again. Even though he started from post eight, trainer-driver Lance Justice had him first-over and at the pacesetting Western Cam's throat for the last quarter. Western Cam, driven by Natalie Rasmussen, the same Rasmussen who won the Inter Dominion with Blacks A Fake, held his position until almost the wire.

 

Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy had Mr. Feelgood positioned third-over after starting from post 12--the outside in the second tier. But on the last turn McCarthy made his move and tipped three wide. Mr. Feelgood showed quick speed and paced up to take on Western Cam and Smoken Up, but then Tanabi Bromac, a 5-year-old gelding by Live Or Die out of a Village Jasper mare, made a sweeping four-wide move to join the battle.

 

Western Cam dropped back slightly, but Smoken Up, Mr. Feelgood and Tanabi Bromac surged to the wire together, with Smoken Up the narrow winner.

 

Mr. Feelgood, the winner of the 2006 Little Brown Jug, is now heading to stud duty in Australia.

 

To view the replay of the race, click here and scroll down to race 7, then click on the icon for the "last lap replay."