Plenty of excitement after Starspangledbanner won the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate Saturday afternoon. There’s no doubt however the celebrations would be dampened by the six month suspension handed down last week to trainer Leon Corstens after the horse returned a positive to Regumate after winning a race last August.
Regumate is given to fillies and mares to stop them from coming into season.
Starspangledbanner has been purchased by Coolmore stud for a rumoured $10 million and will have his last start in Australia in the Newmarket.
The present group of owners keep all prize money earned in Australia. The horse then goes to Ireland to be trained by Aiden O’Brien.
Quite a few times in this column we have lauded the potential of Cox Plate winning colt So You Think but always with the proviso the gut-busting run in the Emirates hadn’t flattened him.
Unfortunately that now appears the case. After a jump out the Cummings camp is sending him straight back to the paddock. A spokesman said the horse had a hard spring including a tough run in the Emirates. “Why risk him? There’s no point punishing him when you know the result. We’ll bypass the autumn and try again in the spring,” was the comment.
There’s no doubt the best-named horse to go around on Saturday was Sydney two year-old Decision Time.
He’s by Foreplay out of Daunting Thought. He made it three out of three and will be one of the favourites for the Slipper. In the same race, Backgammon put in a be-on-me-next-time run. Over 1400 or 1600 metres each way, you will not lose your money.
After what’s happened in other parts of the world we’ve been waiting for this to happen in Australia with punters able to wager on Betfair for horses to lose.
Stewards are inquiring into the run of beaten long odds on favourite Baby Brown at the Sunshine Coast last month.
The investigation was sparked by the large amount of money invested on Betfair for the horse to lose (it finished fourth). The trainer and jockey have to front the stewards whilst a big punter, who rumour says invested a large sum, has declined to attend the inquiry.
Top jockey Danny Nikolic is also to front stewards over nine rides over recent months. The probe commenced after Danny’s mount, Finishing Card, was beaten at $1.60 at Mornington. Danny said he can supply all phone and bank details and is furious with the innuendos floating around.
So he should be as the horses are prepared by some of the top trainers of Sydney and Melbourne and could be a disaster for his career.
Get ready for this to be a common occurrence now that punters can back a horse to get beaten on Betfair.
Local trainers, the Popps, continue to travel and continue to lead in winners.
Prince Nikata won the Maiden at Deepwater and Bigger Than saluted at Coonabaraban.
There’s no doubt they will have a few runners at our first Gunsyd Park meeting in March.
“I think our marriage could be in trouble,” Rather Rotund Resident of Baker Street confided to Drinking Partner. “We were in bed and I took her in my arms and said, ‘Honey Bun, I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world’, and she said, ‘The kids will miss you.’”
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