Tootsie says goodbye along the home straight

PUNTERS let out a sigh as their money went goodbye following the third race at Club Menangle today.

To their dismay, the mail about the short-priced favourite, Somegirlsomewhere, had them in wagering jail as the mare failed to figure among the placings.

While punters were disappointed, veteran trainer Norman Warland was whistling with joy as Just Tootsie went like a train to cause an upset at $15 on the Tote.

“I thought she was a chance today as the field she was up against was not quite as strong as what she had been racing against,” Warland said.

“She went very well today…you can’t hold a good horse down.”

Driven aggressively by Glenn McElhinney to find the lead from barrier eight, Just Tootsie was allowed to roll along at a steady tempo as Somegirlsomewhere occupied the ‘death seat’.

Striding clear during the latter stages, the daughter of Pacific Rocket completed a three-metre win from The Maharani, with Rocknroll Da Gama a half-head away third.

Covering the mile in 1:54.3, Just Tootsie stretched her record to 18 wins and 39 placings from 241 starts for earnings of $135,490.

“She is better suited in front as she can run at a good pace,” Warland said. “So I felt she’d be hard to beat when she found the lead.

While he has no specific plans for the 10-year-old, Warland is hopeful ‘Tootsie’ can do it over again during her next visit to the world class venue.

“I’ll just keep going back to Menangle of a Tuesday,” Warlan said. “There are no other plans at the moment.

“I was thinking this will be her last season, but as long as she is going well I will keep her going around…I’ll play it by ear.

“I’m 87 and haven’t got time to breed another one, so I will race her for as long as she can keep going.

“I like working them as a hobby and the social side is good especially when you get a win!”