Dog fight continues after the event

IN a disappointing follow up to the greyhound Melbourne Cup stewards have ordered an inquiry into several incidents in the kennel block area involving the trainers of the first two greyhounds home.
The incidents came after Seona Hood, partner of Jason Thompson, and handler of the runner-up Hanify’s Impact, was directed by the Stewards about her responsibilities regarding comments made after the event and Thompson himself was warned by the Stewards about his comments and conduct at the same time.
Then after speaking to Darren McDonald, Jason Thompson and a Steward, an inquiry was called into the incidents in the kennel block area following the Cup and again after the next race.
The Stewards have adjourned the inquiry to a date to be fixed.
It is easy to understand Hood and Thompson’s feelings after such a frustrating narrow defeat but with time I am certain they will conceed that it is simply a part of greyhound racing.
Greyhound racing is the life of both trainers and hopefully the Stewards will consider all aspects of the event before deciding on any penalty, if any.
If it makes any difference they should also consider the great amount of promotion given the industry by both Thompson and McDonald who have gone out of their way to make themselves available to me in my time at the Herald Sun.

Surgeon slices up his rivals

AUSTRALIA’s premier greyhound race the $250,000 Schweppes Melbourne Cup ended in controversy tonight with the narrow winner Surgeon  suspended by stewards for failing to chase.
The brilliant but moody sprinter staged a remarkable performance to win after copping a serious check on the first corner but it was his antics in the final 50 metres that incurred the wrath of the stewards.
After cutting away at the massive early lead established by Hanify’s Impact, Surgeon looked set for a clear win when he drew level in the closing stages of the 515 metre event.
But he seemed to lose interest in the lure and instead tried to place a playful nip on Hanify’s Impact.
In the rumble to the post the lead changed several times but on the line Surgeon had his head down and he won in a photo finish.
It was a similar but more extreme example of what he did when he scored in the Cup semi-finals a week earlier and he has also demonstrated the same tendencies in other races.
A number of people thought he should have been suspended after his heat win and before the race spoke of the potential  uproar should he do it again in the sport’s most prestigious final and they were proven correct.
After the race a bemused winning trainer Darren McDonald told the crowd that people should be aware that Surgeon was lucky to be alive let along racing.
He said: “This dog has suffered a couple of terrible falls. It is disappointing to win it (the race) this way but in the end he was the first dog across the line.’’
It was McDonald’s second Melbourne Cup in as many years having won last year’s event with Shanlyn Prince.
Although Surgeon is certain to be suspended for a month his connections still have $175,000 reasons to celebrate.
Race favourite  Made To Size looked a likely winner early when he grabbed the rails spot behind Hanify’s Imapct but he lost all hope when he got tangled up in the field rounding the first turn.
2007 Australian Trainer of the Year Jason Thompson supplied the two minor placegetter swith Nitro Burst making a late charge to finish on the heels of the first two.

Begg is once, twice, three times a winner

SYDNEY sprinter/miler All Silent stamped himself as a horse with a big future when he scored an emphatic win in today’s second Group 1 at Flemington - the 1600m Emirate Stakes.
Perfectly ridden by replacement jockey Dwayne Dunn, All Silent raced with cover until well into the straight then responded in quality style when asked for an effort.
It was the second win in eight days for the lightly raced 5yo who had won the AAMI Insurance Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.
He was ridden on that occasion by Damien Oliver but he had to forego today’s tide because of a suspension received from causing intererence with his mount Mad Rush in the Melbourne Cup.
All Silent was having only his 11^th race start  and today’s win was his fifth success and his first over a mile (1600m).

The win gave Sydney trainer Grahame Begg his third win from as many starters over the Flemington carnival.
He also won the Moet & Chandon Stakes on Oaks Day with Palacio De Cristal, ridden by Dwayne Dunn.
It was also a pleasing success for Begg’s father Neville who is part-owner of the winner.
At the presentation he said: “Early on we didn’t think much of the horse but he has just kept on improving.
“We set him for this race four months ago.”

It’s that man Bart again!

MASTER trainer Bart Cummins brought up his 250^th Group 1 win with Viewed in the 3200 metre Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and four days later he has made it 251 with Swick in the 1200 metre Patinack Farm VRC Classic.

Perfectly suited by a hot pace in a small field Swick was able to get to the outside of the field early and in the closing stages stormed home over the top of them to win easily.

After the race Cummings said: “He loves sit up the straight here, this is the track he likes.

“With the speed on, it was ideal conditions today, with plenty of space and a small field where he can get cracking out in he middle.

“The rest was history.”

Those sentiments were shared by winning jockey Michael Rodd who said: “This old horse, he deserves a won like this.

“He has always been knocking on the door.

“I think with the sting out of the track today and the new pace, he was just able to park back behind them and we had a bit of luck getting out and he has got a real good turn of foot.

“Being such a small field suited him.

“This horse is a back-maker, the smaller the field the better.”

Disappointment of the race was odds-on favourite Apache Cat who finished near the tail of the field.

Apache Cat was shooting for his sixth Group 1 victory in as many starts.

He was one of the first away he settled behind the early leaders but after travelling smoothly for the first 800 metres he was the first beaten.

His jockey Corey Brown gave the favourite a couple of cracks with the whip but there was nothing shown in response and in the end Brown let him coast to the line.

Aidan O’Brien up in the Air

FLYING time from Melbourne to London is some 24 hours, so having left Melbourne early this morning, Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien must still be up in the air somewhere possibly over Europe.
Cruising at around 30,000 feet, or about three times the distance of the Melbourne Cup, he might possibly be thinking what went wrong with his campaign to win the great race this year,
As he possibly sips on an expensive brandy he might well chortle that the track was like concrete, I should have taken the horses out (scratched them).
Well Aidan, when the plane finally comes down to earth (like you should), you might want to go and have another look or two at the video replay.
What absolutely insane tactics were those employed by your jockeys on your three representatives – Honolulu, Alessandro Volta and the “great” Sepitimus.
Were they all on instructions to go out at that pace?
We have a rich Group 1 1200 metre sprint race at Flemington called the Newmarket Handicap but it is on in the autumn.
The early sectional times returned by the O’Brien trio may have stood them in good stead in a race like the Newmarket, but this was the Melbourne Cup over 3200 metres on a good – not rock hard fast – track.
Honolulu gave Septimus cover for a good distance before he caved in before the home turn then Alessandro Volta who had set off like a pacemaker also collapsed in the home straight.
For half a stride Septimus, after his “dream run” behind the leader, looked a winning chance but then he too said enough and punctured.
Then a mass of horses all ridden much more sensibly, stampeded past the fading O’Brien trio.
Ignore the call that two of the three pulled up sore, after a tough race like the Melbourne Cup nearly every runner pulls up sore.
In the field of 22, O’Brien’s horses finished: Septimus (18th), Alessandro Volta (20th) and Honolulu (21st),
And that was after what many considered a failed attempt of team riding to give Septimus cover.
After being called back to an inquiry at the track O’Brien was asked “Was Alessandro Volta ridden in a manner that gave the horse every chance?”
Obviously in an ordinary mood after the performance of his team he debated the point with the Stewards before he was allowed to leave unpunished.
But as Chief Steward Terry Bailey said later: “If Septimus had kicked and won the race, it might have been a different matter altogether.”
O’Brien may not have been punished by the Stewards, but in his absence he has been verbally assaulted by many.
The bloke can obviously train horses but he has still got a lot to learn about Australian racing.