The Angel Capital shambles at Royal Randwick was eased by the Rabbits being Mighty when it mattered and Swans having a live kill over Port Adelaide while the racing heart still beats in the bush.
Tom Berry adds substance to the Sydney riding ranks confirmed on Ninja in the Group Two Missile Stakes, while James McDonald, in the same event, looked anything but a world champion handling Angel Capital, the $2.20 favourite.
Down south, Blake Shinn at Caulfield produced a successful double showing that a nine-month absence with injury hasn’t dulled his ability, while “mom” Linda Meech had an armchair ride on Cavalry Girl.
Meech, too, was sidelined due to maternity, brilliant in March on her return and in full flight on Saturday as was the grumpy old man Cody Walker.
Now 36, the veteran of finals, superb passing, brilliant bursts and blights of pique, has never produced a better effort for South Sydney than he did against the Eels.
In the second half The Rabbits wearied as if smitten with myxomatosis. Earlier Walker was inspirational but the final kick by him that enabled survival, yes the bounce of ball involved, was exceptional.
Sean Keppy and Travis Duncan contributed to the final play producing South Sydney spirit as the team staggered, out on their feet but they made hard yards that enabled Walker’s boot to get the result.
Sure, after his most recent brain snap it was understandable why the club would not give him another season. Now? Let him take a place until he is 40 if that’s what he wants. GOOD.
A few seasons back I rated Keppy an also-ran at a modest tempo, but now he hits the line and defends with vigour while Duncan has always promised greatness – what is sought from Charlie Curnow with the Swans.
Five goals by Curnow against Port Adelaide were brilliant, shadowed by the Swans-tutored Aliir, no soft touch, but now we want to see him be a force against the quality of Brisbane and Geelong.
With Curnow the Swans are bulging with star quality, Isaac Heeney, Tom Papley and Chad Warner with Errol Gulden hitting his straps. And Brodie Grundy.
Alas teams, rather than individual brilliance, triumph in Grand Finals. Dean Cox has to coach Fagan grit into the Swans required for the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Obviously the surface at Louth, out West, is more girt than grass but again on Saturday emphasised the popularity of the major country meetings, populated more with brumby standard but ridden by top navigators.
Only one a year but Louth had 20 bookmakers, with the leviathan fielder David Baxter flying in, and the Calcutta at the local pub getting to a $50,000 pot.
Provincial meetings around Sydney are fortunate to have three bookmakers. On Saturday Mikayla Weir was prominent at Louth with a winning double and she has proved a worthy rival in town for J-Mac, hardly seen at his best on Angel Capital, who finished third after giving an impossible start, mentioned as nine lengths on the turn by course broadcaster, Darren Flindell.
“He will win the Memsie Stakes (Caulfield August 29),” a wise guy argued with a bad loser.
“But Angel Capital was a hot favourite. Surely J-Mac was entitled to ride more like a top jockey than a three-kilo claiming apprentice,” – bad loser.
“The run will top him off nicely for the Memsie, a Group One, and he is just not a Randwick horse,” – wise guy.
“BAD at Randwick? From four starts: hardly clear running in The Everest, “badly held up” two back and Saturday’s disaster,”- bad loser.
Stewards reported Angel Capital trailed Gangsta Granny in the early stages as the jockey felt that horse would “maintain a prominent position”. He said however when Gangsta Granny got shuffled back approaching the 800 metres, Angel Capital became awkwardly placed behind that runner and was restrained.
The stewards paid scant respect to the defeat with around a 50-word explanation, no trainer required, for the $300,000 Missile.
At Louth J.P.W. Prior, the only stipe listed, went to 130 words after the defeat of Cool Space ($5) in the $13,000 Arrowfield Benchmark 50 for which four cents would have been invested compared to the thousands on Angel Capital.
Champions are human and can ride a bad race. Berry, though, applied initiative on Ninja and made a decisive move when J-Mac was waiting for something to happen with another runner.
Back in January Ninja was the victim of a protest which should have been upheld when second in the Gold Coast Guineas.
On Saturday the Queensland stewards dismissed another objection by Run Like A Girl against the half-length winner Queen Olympias at Eagle Farm. UGLY.
Run Like A Girl was barrelled by the winner but the stipes could not be satisfied it made any difference to the result.
Obviously, Queensland is the dumb protest capital decision of Australia and prompted the recollection of Michael Freedman trainer of Ninja who, following the January debacle, opined:
“My fear at the minute is protests like that one (Gold Coast) may be decided by a jockey who can pretty much cause as much interference as they want, as long as they win the race by a margin that’s big enough that stewards don’t feel like they can overturn it.”
Queen Olympias was not in this category. She veered out sharply, no jockey tactic, but knocked Run Like A Girl off stride. A half-length? If there was any doubt which, unquestionably there was, the race should have gone to the victim.
