MR HORNBLOWER RIDES OUT THE STORM TO WIN PRIME MINISTER’S CUP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 2, 2009

Prime Ministers Cup (Listed - Quality) - 1300m. Time: 1-14.42. Track: Good 3. Rail: True.
1 Mr Hornblower; 2 Rightfully Yours; 3 El Cambio.

The was drama aplenty in the Prime Minister’s Cup (Listed) with the outcome eventually being decided in favour of Mr Hornblower via a successful protest against the on the track winner, Rightfully Yours.

Jockey Craig Newitt used the advantage of pole position to have Rightfully Yours superbly placed in the box seat as Rasmussen and Court Command set the early target. The run started to become problematical when Rightfully Yours moved up onto the heels of the leaders approaching the turn and remained there, firmly trapped in a pocket, in the early part of the straight.

At the 200m mark Craig Newitt lost both his patience and the race.

He pulled Rightfully Yours inwards and forced his way out of the dead-end. The move was a dramatic and violent one as Rightfully Yours thumped Court Command and sent the latter across into Mr Hornblower, who was putting in a timely run on their outside. Court Command had been taken out of the race by the initial contact and the same fate seemed likely for Mr Hornblower when he received a second and this time more hefty bump, which turned the horse sideways.

Rightfully Yours was now away and running, but such was the skill of Glen Colless in the saddle that he managed to keep Mr Hornblower’s hopes alive. He straightened his mount, balanced up and chased Rightfully Yours, staying close enough to Rightfully Yours to justifiably get the race on protest.

El Cambio, who also was briefly held up in the skirmish, ran on strongly to finish third.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Michael Nolan (not the Toowoomba trainer), stable representative for the Mick Price stable (speaking directly after the race): “At this stage we are probably heading for the Stradbroke. We had to probably win today to guarantee a run and now that he is in there, Mick will decide. There may be one or two more runs, but the Stradbroke is his goal. That’s what we came here for.

“This horse is a very underrated horse. When he was a young horse he was a colt and he had a few issues. Now that he is gelded, he is a different horse and he’ll improve. What he did today, you’ll see a lot better horse in a couple of weeks time.”

Glen Colless, the rider of the runner-up (Mr Hornblower) lodged a protest against the winner (Rightfully Yours).
Jockey Glen Colless (giving his grounds for objection): “At about the 200m mark I moved up to make my run outside Corey Brown’s mount (Court Command). At that stage I copped a bump to my hind-quarters and I was turned in slightly. I probably went about another stride and then I copped heavy contact from my inside from Corey Brown’s mount. I think all that interference that I copped was caused by Craig Newitt’s mount angling out for a run behind the leader. In doing so it has just unbalanced my horse on two occasions. With the margin only being a head, the fact that I had to stop, rebalance and come again ... I think if I didn’t cop that bump on the hindquarters I probably would have won the race.”

Jockey Craig Newitt (questioning Glen Colless): “Just one question. You say it was at the 200m. I’d say that from the 150m - do you believe - that you had every chance to run my horse down?”

Glen Colless: “I probably have. In saying that ... at the 200m, when I hadn’t even gone for my horse - I was travelling pretty kindly - once I copped interference, it’s probably put it off his game a touch and I’ve had to really chase hard the last 150m. As I said, if I’d just had a nice clear run without copping that interference and not being turned sideways on two occasions, and the margin only being a head ...

Craig Newitt: “Do you believe my horse was turned sideways?

Glen Colless: “Yeah, but that was only from your own doing. It wasn’t my doing.”

Craig Newitt (making his statement): “I raced very keen behind the leader for the majority of the race and the sprint from the corner where he seemed to be wanting to get off the track a little bit. Once I started to roll in to heels, I established a run outside it, albeit very narrow. I believe there was a run there. I expected to be able to take that run. As I got to just outside its hind-quarters, the leader tended to roll off. Being really committed to that run, which I really felt was mine at the time, I had to come out with it to avoid his heels. I did make contact with Corey Brown’s horse, and he in turn with Glen Colless’s horse. I believe after all that was through ... I believe we came out of it probably pretty much on level terms. Within the last 150m my mount started to draw away.”

Michael Nolan stable representative for the Mick Price stable: “I would agree that the horse got a slight bump, but, jockey Colless never stopped riding him for much more than one stride. He balanced himself up and in the last 150m he had every chance to run our horse down. Our horse was going better at the line.”

The protest was upheld.

Trainer Tracey Green (speaking after the objection had been decided): “Yeah, he took a couple of bumps. We didn’t know who caused it in the rush of the moment. But, yeah, we went in and saw the stewards footage and it showed it clear. That puts him over the half-million in earnings now, so that makes our day. He’ll go for the Darley Sprint in a fortnight – and then the Eye-Liner. He is such a nice-horse. He is just a gentleman. The love-child I call him. He’s my love-child. He can be difficult to ride sometimes, but then, you know, we had Glen
Colless. He is a genius. An absolute genius he is. What can you say.”

Jockey Glen Colless (speaking after the objection had been decided): “I had a lovely run in the race, three back the fence. He gave me a great ride and then when I got to the outside I always thought I had them covered, you know. Then I copped that bump on the hind-quarters which turned him in. He sort of half-lost all his momentum. Then I copped another one – a pretty hefty one. That really turned him and sort of half put him off his game a touch. I then had to balance up and chase to the line. You know he only got beat a head, so the two decent bumps he got ... I think it cost him.”

This was Colless’ first meeting back in the saddle since being sidelined with injury for some time. Colless seriously injured his toes in a freak accident at Eagle Farm. After surgery and rehabilitation, how was the foot holding up?

Glen Colless: “The foot is just something I’m going to have to put up with for a few more months. It’s just an ache. I did rush my comeback. The doctors, they said another six weeks, so I wasn’t going to sit around. Given this result, I guess you could say it was the right decision.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Before the declaration of correct weight G. Colless the rider of Mr Hornblower declared second place-getter sought permission to view the official videos as he was of the opinion there may have been grounds to formally lodge a protest. After this viewing G. Colless on behalf of the connections did formally protest against Rightfully Yours (C. Newitt) being declared the winner. G. Colless alleged interference to his mount near the 200m.

After all informed parties had provided evidence and viewed all available video footage of the incident, stewards formed the opinion that as a consequence of C. Newitt (Rightfully Yours) shifting out near the 200m and forcing Court Command onto Mr Hornblower on two occasions and unbalancing that horse significantly, it caused interference to it which had exceeded the head margin at the finish. Therefore, the protest was upheld and the placings were amended as follows: 1st Mr Hornblower; 2nd Rightfully Yours; 3rd El Cambio; 4th Rockpecker

At a subsequent inquiry C. Newitt (Rightfully Yours) pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under AR137(a), the careless riding being that at about the 200m he rode his mount outwards when insufficiently clear of Court Command causing that horse to be forced onto Mr Hornblower. As a consequence of this incident both Court Command and Mr Hornblower were severely unbalanced and Court Command lost its running.

C. Newitt was suspended from riding in races to commence midnight 3 May 2009 and to expire midnight 21 May 2009. In addition to this penalty he was fined the sum of $2,000.00. C. Newitt was advised that in deciding this penalty the stewards had considered his guilty plea, but they were also of the opinion that the carelessness he displayed on this occasion was at the highest end of the scale and indeed consideration had been given to a more serious charge being levelled against him.