01/02/16
There was an interesting protest at the Sunshine Coast yesterday afternoon in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup after Pillar of Creation got home by a short half head in a tense three-horse finish. The jockey of Timeless Prince, Paul Hammersley, viewed the stewards footage before deciding not to protest, but a member of the stewards panel decided to lodge a protest on behalf of stewards and after viewing their footage stewards upheld their own protest and Timeless Prince became the winner.
Sky Channel showed the head-on footage of the Sunshine Coast Cup straight after the race and it is clear from that footage that Timeless Prince had not been afforded the opportunity to have an unimpeded run in a straight line up the home straight – which is his right under the rules of racing – as his line was dictated for a few strides by Sambuca Shot moving out after being forced off its line by Pillar Of Creation, so for my two bobs worth, as an independent observer, I thought it was good stewarding to both lodge and uphold the protest. And let me say publicly that I didn’t have a bet in the race in question, nor did I tip in it to clients, so it was of no consequence to me what won the race on the heavy 10 track. In fact I got so many emails suggesting the stewards have no idea that I’ve put a series of photos, courtesy of Sky Channel, up on my www.brisbaneracing.com.au website today as I agree stewards made the right call. In fact I have no idea how people who haven’t viewed the head-on footage can even have an opinion on the topic.
The stewards report on the matter read:
On return to scale, jockey P. Hammersley, rider of the 2nd placegetter TIMELESS PRINCE, viewed the stewards’ patrol video of the concluding stage to ascertain if he would lodge a protest against PILLAR OF CREATION being declared the winner. Jockey Hamersley declined to lodge a protest. Subsequently, stipendiary steward Mr K. Daly lodged an objection. Stewards gave consideration to this objection and found that after passing the 200m PILLAR OF CREATION shifted out making contact with SAMBUCA SHOT, which was forced out on to the rightful running of TIMELESS PRINCE, causing that horse to be hampered and shifted off its racing line and causing its rider to stop riding for a short distance. Stewards were satisfied that the interference suffered was in excess of the short half head margin and therefore the protest was upheld and correct weight was semaphored on the placings – No. 5. Timeless Prince No. 7. Pillar Of Creation No. 16 Mischievous – No. 9. Honey Toast
Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au there’s the popular What’s In A Name” segment from last Saturday’s meetings. That segment targets positively named horses that go missing in action and/or horses with the word “Cat” anywhere in their name and so on. And as stated previously there are photos of the Caloundra stewards protest from yesterday that was upheld.
From the Doomben betting ring leading rails bookmaker Lindsay Gallagher reported:
Race 1 – Mishani Sleuth $8.00, Itz Alrite $2.00 and Prince Of Flinders $5.00
The first race at Doomben was won by Mishani Sleuth which drifted during betting when no money arrived for the first starter.
The favourite Itz Alrite was backed from $2.30 into $2.
There was specking late for Prince Of Flinders.
We only laid the one runner for any money in a race where there were a lot of unknowns and when Itz Alrite got beaten we started the day off on a winning note.
Race 2 – Hot Saga $4.40, Ongoing Venture $7.50 and Uno Five $10.00
This winner Hot Saga was $5 into $4.40 and that was hard to get at the finish.
The visiting Newcastle trained opening favourite Award Season was unlayable and got out to $3.50 late in betting. He started a short priced favourite and raced disappointingly.
The best backed runner apart from the winner Hot Saga was Volkhere which firmed from $4.60 to run at $3.60 before disappointing and running last after leading.
It was a race most bookies would lose on.
Race 3 – Kudero $11.00, Vienna Royale $3.70 and Nothing Like Luca $10.00
This winner Kudero was specked from $13 to run at $11.
The second horse Vienna Royale was the best backed runner and he was $4.20/$4.40 in to run at $3.70.
Beau Jet, resuming from a spell, was backed from $4.80 into $4.60 late before running on and finishing fifth.
There was no money about for The Conspirator which ran fourth.
It was a race you could have won or lost on as those who walked into the winner at $13 would lose on the race.
Race 4 – Anecdote $4.60, Pirandello $5.00 and Assertory $5.50
I laid a good bet on the phones about this Warwick Farm trained winner Anecdote at $4.80.
The second horse Pirandello would have been no good as he was $7.50 into $5.50 late in betting and you could lay him at that $5.50 quote before the jump.
There was no money about for Assertory which was going for four wins in a row. She was honest again running third.
Pienkna was backed again but she missed the start and then raced disappointingly before finishing seventh.
Race 5 – Dream Choice $5.50, Whiskey Allround $4.60 and Jopa $10.00
There was good money about for Dream Choice at $6.
The second horse Whiskey Allround would have been worse than the winner as he was $6.50/$7 into $4.60.
There was some specking for Someday and Adebesi before they ran fourth and eighth respectively.
The favourite Le Cap was unlayable.
It was a losing race.
Race 6 – Right Or Wrong $1.60, Tracey’s Angel $7.00 and La Spiaggia $7.50
There was plenty of big money in the Doomben betting ring for this winner Right Or Wrong at $1.70 and $1.65 before he ran at $1.60.
There was no real money for any other runner, so we just stood the one horse out and when he won easily it was a bad result.
Race 7 – Ruling Force $16.00, Just A Perla $17.00 and Red Claw $3.90
Ruling Force which was having his first run in Brisbane after arriving from Perth was $20-odd into $16, so he was layable during betting.
The third horse Red Claw was well backed late in betting and firmed from $4.60.
There was money about for Walhaan at big odds which was resuming from a spell before he ran fourth.
There was money also for Legendary Luke which remained solid throughout betting before he ran eighth but the money for Legendary Luke died late and he eased out when Red Claw was backed.
If you ran into the winner the race was no good.
Race 8 – Privlaka $4.60, Most Important $4.40 and Legal Procedure $9.00
The last race was won by Privlaka and I laid a large bet on him at $7 and he was backed all the way in to $4.80 and $5 late in betting, so he was off the map.
Most Important was well backed from $5.50 in, so we were gone either way in the photo which Privlaka won by a nose.
I laid a large bet on the third horse and Rockhampton visitor Legal Procedure at $11.
Shotacross The Bow was $6 out to $10 and he was probably the run of the race as he covered more ground than the early explorers. He had five alley and was four wide the trip. It was a good preparation for the Derby given he covered that much ground. He’s probably the horse to follow from the race I would think.
So we finished the day on a losing race and a losing day overall.
Lindsay will be fielding at Ipswich on Wednesday, the Sunshine Coast on Friday, Doomben next Saturday and the Sunshine Coast again next Sunday, so that will keep him off the streets for most of the week and give his besotted bride some time to herself.