SYDNEY BASHING WAS THE THEME ON MELBOURNE RACING RADIO

SYDNEY bashing was the theme of the morning on racing radio in Melbourne today (Sunday) – and the opinions expressed by the Victorians over the photo finish debacle at Rosehill were arguably shared by the majority punters throughout the country.

The criticism included: “To have no photo finish camera in operation is total amateurism. It is something you might expect from racing in Kazakstan not in Australia.”

Premiere Stakes day started on a controversial note when five judges were called on to determine the outcome of the first race when two photo finish cameras were out of action.

Only one of the five judges did not believe – after closely studying the video footage of the finish – that the former Queenslander Acquired, $7 to $4.2, had not beaten Seeking Attention, $6.5, and landed a plunge in the process.

Seeking Attention’s trainer Anthony Cummings and jockey Tim Clark objected to the original nose decision and an inquiry was opened with Racing NSW chief steward, Ray Murrihy, telling those in attendance the decision was based on video footage that was ‘not perfectly on the line’.

Murrihy said stewards could only overturn the original decision if they were ‘satisfied the judge has made a mistake’ in accordance with AR156 (3) which in part reads: ‘if the stewards are satisfied on the evidence of the available prints or images that the judge has made a mistake in the determination of the finishing order of a race, the stewards may correct such mistake and alter the places accordingly’.

“It’s an unsatisfactory situation,” an obviously frustrated Murrihy said. “The easy decision would be to make it a dead-heat and had the judge declared a dead-heat we wouldn’t be overturning it. We can’t be satisfied the judge’s decision is wrong.”

Fortunately the problem was rectified with the photo finish cameras before the feature race of the day – the $150,000 G2 Premiere Stakes – where a dead-heat was declared between the two outsiders in the field, Mentality, $16 and Kroner, $14.

Despite the small field of seven, it was an incident-packed race. There were excuses for equal favorites, Phelan Ready and Fritz’s Princess, both at $3.7. The heavily-backed Fritz’s Princess was held up for much of the straight while Phelan Ready got onto heels at the 700 then charged home late.

Winning honors were shared by the stables of Bart Cummings (Kroner) and John Hawkes (Mentality). “Better to share it than lose it,” Cummings said. Michael Hawkes has a big opinion of Mentality and added: "He is a bigger and stronger horse this preparation.”

DENMAN NOW SHORT PRICED FAVORITE FOR THE $1 MILLION GOLDEN ROSE

BRILLIANT colt Denman snared short-priced favoritism for the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose in a fortnight with a dominant win in the G3 forerunner, Run To The Rose, at Rosehill on Saturday.

Unbeaten in four starts since a spell, the Peter Snowden trained three-year-old looks set to provide his famous dad, Lonhro, with his first Group 1 winner as a sire.

“I sent him to Melbourne as an early two-year-old and after he galloped for the first time Paul (his son) phoned up and said ‘we’ve got one.’ He’s a really nice horse with the type of tactical speed that takes them a long way,” Snowden said.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy pushed forward after being caught wide and took up a handy spot. Denman, $3.7fav, got to the front on straightening and raced away to win well from More Than Great, $7. The Victorian Bombay Sling, $26, was third.

“It probably isn’t the way to ride him but sometimes the circumstances of a race change your plans and only the good ones are adaptable enough to overcome those things,” Snowden said. “He’s got gears and can get himself out of trouble.”

FEATURE RACES AT ROSEHILL ON SATURDAY AUGUST 15

PREMIERE STAKES, $150,000, Group 2

DEAD-HEAT: MENTALITY,$16 and KRONER, $14; Phelan Ready, $3.7eqfav 3; Fritz’s Princess, $3.7eqfav 4.

RUN TO THE ROSE, $125,000, Group 3

DENMAN, $3.7fav 1; More Than Great, $7 2; Bombay Sling, $26, 3.

THREE FAVORITES were successful on the eight race card at ROSEHILL

LONGEST PRICED WINNERS were COUSIN WAL $21 and the dead-heaters in the feature race, MENTALITY, $16 & KRONER, $14.