'MORE MANE THAN REIN' FACTORS IN AN UNUSUAL FINISH

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, August 21, 2024

There was no ordinary run-of-the-mill race finish in the first race at the Sunshine Coast today.

Jockey Jake Bayliss might have made the mistake which resulted in the somewhat chaotic final 75m of the race … he has owned up to that … but his riding skills, once put in that difficult position, more than compensated for his error.

In fact, it would be fair to say that they were key to avoiding a possible catastrophe.

As so often is the case in racing, it all happened in a blink of the eye and, for most, it would take a good few viewings of the race replay to ascertain exactly what happened.

No opinion from any of those observers though, would be as precise as Bayliss’ version of his split-second scare, his reaction and, ultimately, how he came out of it the other side as a winner.

Let’s start with when Bayliss’ mount, Ramp It Up, was coming through under a hard ride, and about to take control of proceedings late in the running.

“The horse has a mane on it like a lion,” said Bayliss, starting the explanation. “I went to take my hold, and I got a chunk full of mane, and I didn’t realise I had more mane than rein.

“When the horse started to lay in, I pulled my outside rein to correct it … like I said, I had more mane than rein … and, when I did that, the reins have slipped out of my hand.”

Not only that, but with Bayliss without a rein and the horse hanging in, Bayliss was momentarily thrust sideways to his left, and for a split second was hanging precariously, angled awkwardly on the side of his horse, but his instinct, superior riding skill and phenomenal balance kicked in immediately and defused that danger as quickly as it had arrived.

“I was lucky enough to be able to bounce back in the saddle … I don’t know how I didn’t fall off … and we were fortunate enough to not knock anybody down because I only regained the rein after the winning post, so I was very lucky at the outcome, being able to win the race and retain it.

“I even managed to give him one more reminder without the rein before the line. I was trying my best to keep my momentum going, but I was also mindful of looking after the horses and riders to the inside of my horse.”

That reminder was required as the $8.50 chance Bold Change was now flying up along Ramp It Up’s outside. If Bayliss had blinked or even showed the smallest degree of hesitation … for which he would have been forgiven under the circumstances … the result would have gone the other way.

He didn’t. It didn’t … and Ramp It Up got home by the narrowest of margins.

On top of all of that, Ramp It Up was a boil-over result with the Lindsay Gough trained runner jumping at a starting price of $41.

“There was no protest. I didn’t get suspended. I didn’t fall off and I didn’t knock anybody down, so it was a overall win for me,” said Bayliss.

“It was an unfortunate thing to happen and slightly embarrassing, but I’m only human.”

In the end, all of the drama was trumped by an impressive display of horsemanship … and a winning result … an outcome that Bayliss gratefully accepted with no small measure of relief.

Bayliss was happy to take it, but it was one he would not want to have over again.

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