November 13, 2015
Many Australians thought they had little chance of seeing a dinki-di Australian horse take out this year’s Melbourne Cup.
The pre-race spruikers, as is now fashionable, found reasons why every northern hemisphere born contestant could score.
Mind you, there were only a handful of Australasians engaged so the experts had the weight of numbers to play with.
Prince of Penzance got under the radar despite his sound second in the Moonee Valley Cup, an event he took out in 2014.
His four previous tries beyond 1700 metres at Flemington had returned a 2000 metre win and seconds in last year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Roy Higgins Quality and Craftsman Handicap.
His sire Pentire saluted at the elite level in the Queen Elizabeth and King George VI Stakes.
His two milers include Art Success, Pentane, Pantani, Pentathon and Tinseltown.
Pentatsic and the Derby winner Excellent ran fourth and third in their respective Melbourne Cup sorties.
He also fathered Mufhasa and Rangirangdoo as well as the classic performers Zarita, Markus Maximus and Sir Pentir while his dam Gull Nook carried the genes of Epsom Derby stars Mill Reef and Blakeney.
Only Royale, Prince of Penzance’s grand-dam, won the 1993-94 Yorkshire Oaks, a race for females three and over.
Furthermore, Northern Dancer appears on both sides of his pedigree.
New Zealand’s Rich Hill Stud is home to Pentire and the 2010 Cup hero Shocking, the Street Cry stallion whose oldest crop will be four come Cup day 2016.
Some punters would have ruled a line through Prince of Penzance’s name because he had a female jockey.
Unfortunately they overlooked Michelle Payne’s Group One experiences.
She justified the trust of the late Bart Cummings when she prevailed in the 2009 Toorak Handicap aboard Allez Wonder at $41.
More recently she steered Yosei in eight of the filly’s nine podium finishes.
Their Group One tally was three wins (AJC Sires Produce Stakes, MRC One Thousand Guineas and Tatts Tiara), a third spot in the 2012 AJC Doncaster and a fourth place in the Coolmore Stakes.
Remember for next year’s Cup: go with your own heart and remember the pro-tipsters are fallible folk too.
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The Cup’s Dark Side
The Cup should also be remembered as Frankie Dettori’s Demolition Day.
The carnage caused by the international rider is only fully appreciated by observing the head-on footage.
Different penalties are needed in the future as a matter of fairness to owners whose entries lost all chance at a pivotal point in the straight.
Excuses offered by some commentators are embarrassingly pathetic.
Every learner driver knows to check over their shoulder before changing lanes.
If it was an English race, his mount would have not collected the runner-up cheque worth a tidy $900,000.
The British Horseracing Authority’s Rule 53.3 states that: “When a horse or its rider has caused interference by dangerous riding in any part of a race the horse shall, on an objection to the Stewards under Part 7, be disqualified.”
American jurisdictions generally follow a similar policy. The horse’s number is “taken down”.
The actual finishing position of the offended runner(s) is not as significant as in Australia.
In essence, if the foul is serious, stewards can delete the contender from the payouts.
Australian stewards should have that option as a reserve power to be applicable in very critical situations.
Flemington’s Melbourne Cup Day steward panel immediately showed its concern when it delayed issuing correct weight until after the video coverage had been checked.
The damage done is reflected in the following extract from the official report:
“Frankie Dettori (Max Dynamite) pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under the provisions of AR137(a), the carelessness being that near the 350m he permitted his mount to shift out when not sufficiently clear of Gust Of Wind (NZ), resulting in Gust Of Wind (NZ) shifting out causing severe crowding to Hokko Brave which in turn caused severe crowding to Grand Marshal (GB) resulting in that horse being checked severely and almost falling and making heavy contact with Preferment (NZ) which in turn made contact with the hindquarters of Kingfisher (IRE). Frankie Dettori had his licence to ride in races suspended for one calendar month to commence at midnight November 3rd and to expire at midnight December 2nd and was also fined the sum of AUD $20,000. In assessing penalty, Stewards acknowledged Mr Dettori’s good record however took into account the high range interference in the biggest race of the year.”
The stewards must surely have considered using the term “reckless” to describe the stellar hoop’s performance in the event that is showcased for overseas consumption.
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Bits And Bridles
- Hannah Phillips, who scored on Conmigo at Chinchilla, is engaged for her father Barry’s entrant Lisa Fashionista in the heat of the Cannonball (800m) at Warwick’s provincial TAB meeting on Sunday. The stable’s other acceptor in the event, the Nanango Horse Of The Year Captain Clayton, is very widely drawn and seems unlikely to run. At Mount Perry, she will be aboard the debutante Hidden Angel for Glenn Richardson, the James Curtain pair Kistamon and Mini Style and Dark Angel (Glenn Andrews).
- Hannah English found the right note again last weekend. She landed a double with Oggie and Rock On Ivy at Chinchilla to add to her Cup day treble at Kumbia. Five winners in five days is something to note in the scrapbook. At Mount Perry on Saturday she links up with Binesi, Three Pyramids and Seen A Host for Darryl Gardiner as well as Lucks In and the ex-Victorian Bel Esprit mare Mollara for her master Glenn Richardson.
- Wondai’s Jason Missen is set to pilot I Am McLovin (for Curtain), Canid (Richardson) and Talk Back (Neville O’Toole).
- The fashion theme for Nanango Race Club’s December 5 Christmas Meeting is Festive Red, a notion that has endless possibilities. It is time to start organising that special pre-Christmas gathering at Lee Park for work colleagues, interest group, friends or family.
