June 1, 2015
Wondai jockey Jason Missen should be feeling pleased with the news he was right all along … Tropical Heatwave did win Race 3 at Burrandowan back on May 9.
At the end of the race, Missen – who believed he had either held on to win or at least dead-heated – asked to see the photo finish, which had been awarded by a nose to Come On Lulu, ridden by Melody O’Brien.
After a long delay, the Stewards ruled that the judges’ original decision that Come On Lulu had won would stand.
The official Stewards’ Report from race day reads:
“Correct weight was delayed to allow jockey J. Missen, the rider of the second placegetter Tropical Heatwave, to view the photo finish. After viewing the photo, Jockey J. Missen placed an objection on the judge’s placings. After taking evidence from all the connections involved and the judge, stewards could not be comfortable in altering the judge’s numbers and correct weight was declared.”
So this is what all the media (including southburnett.com.au) published:
Race 3 – Clovely Estate / 4SB 1071 AM / Ted Fisher Benchmark 65 Handicap (1000m)
1. Come On Lu Lu (4) – Melody O’Brien
2. Tropical Heatwave (2) – Jason Missen
3. Captain Clayton (1) – Hannah Phillips
Time: 1:01.54
Margins: Nose x 1 3/4 lengths
However, if you check the official results now, they read:
1. Tropical Heatwave (2) – Jason Missen
2. Come On Lu Lu (4) – Melody O’Brien
3. Captain Clayton (1) – Hannah Phillips
Time: 1:01.54
Margins: Nose x 1 3/4 lengths
It’s obviously too late for punters on the track who backed Tropical Heatwave “on the nose” – or bookies who paid out on the longer-priced Come On Lulu on the day – but the result of Race 3 was officially overturned on Friday by Racing Queensland stewards after another review of the evidence.
It also makes a difference for all the connections of both horses, too – the difference in prize money between 1st ($5200) and 2nd ($1600) is considerable.
Tropical Heatwave trainer Mat Reardon lodged the complaint, and evidence was taken from him and Come On Lu Lu trainer Julie Brown by telephone on Friday.
The RQ Stewards found:
“After giving consideration to the submissions tendered at the inquiry and further reviewing the photo finish image, Stewards were satisfied that on the evidence available to them, that an error had occurred in determining the result of the race. The Stewards were comfortably satisfied that a nose margin existed in favour of Tropical Heatwave winning the race. Therefore Stewards acting under AR 156(3) ordered that the placings of Race 3 at Burrandowan on the day in question be amended.”
