PAUL K of TOWNSVILLE writes:
‘MY mates and I were at the pub on Sunday and late in the day decided to have a few bets.
Sadly it didn’t have a happy ending when Fancy Garter, the horse we backed in the last in Townsville, protested unsuccessfully against the winner, Hot Cocoa.
Based on the rules adopted by the Stewards in this race it would be impossible for any horse that runs another off the track near the finish to win on protest.
The Stewards Report read:
After taking evidence from all parties and after viewing all available patrol footage, stewards could not be comfortably satisfied had this interference not occurred that FANCY GARTER would have finished in front of HOT COCOA and as such stewards dismissed the objection and declared correct weight on the judges’ semaphored numbers.
Strangely it went on to say that the jockey of Hot Cocoa, Adrian Holt, was reprimanded for failing to stop riding and straighten his mount (AR131 a). Our interpretation of that: Interfere with the horse that should have beaten you and no protest will be upheld.
Here’s hoping they weren’t listening to advice from the SKY host who suggested any protest would be dismissed. Like the stewards he must have wanted to get home early. What a joke!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Having viewed a replay, LGHR believes the decision could have gone either way. There was certainly interference and perhaps Adrian Holt deserved more than just a reprimand. Having said that, we have the utmost respect for the Chief Steward on the day, Darryl Griffiths. Had it been his colleague further north then who knows what would have happened. As for SKY, it’s par for the course now when there is a protest that their ‘on air’ experts express an opinion. It has no bearing whatsoever on the decision that Stewards make.
