THE COX PLATE PROTEST: EVERYBODY HAS AN OPINION BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE OPINION THAT MATTERED

By Graham Potter | Sunday, October 24, 2021

While everybody and their dog had their opinion on which way the protest in the Cox Plate should have gone, the bottom line is that the only opinion mattered and that belonged to the Racing Victoria Chairman of Stewards Robert Cram and his team of stewards who officiated at the protest hearing.

“There were five stewards on the panel who had a vote on the protest,” explained Cram, when talking to Racing.com.

“It was actually a majority decision. It took some time for us to unravel the incident and come to our decision but, after taking into account all the different angles that were available to us and the jockey’s evidence … the stewards decided that, had that incident not occurred, State Of Rest would have finished in front of Anamoe.

‘It was obviously a very tight call. The stewards wanted to ensure that we came to the correct decision after considering all angles that were available to us … keeping in mind that being a feature day, Cox Plate Day, we probably had nine or ten different angles we were looking at.

“We also had the jockey’s evidence and the trainer’s evidence to consider and, to be quite candid, it was a very tight call.

“The same process is followed whether it is a country maiden or a Cox Plate. The process through an objection is the same, no matter where we are. Obviously, the stakes are higher. The prize-money is higher. We are fully aware of the environment and the situation we are working under and the profile that the race has got, but you don’t let that cloud your decision-making or let it interrupt the normal objection process.

‘The margin is a very important factor when you are considering an objection,” continued Cram, “because you compare the margin with the interference suffered by the horse that suffered the interference … and if you think that the suffering is greater than the margin then you uphold the protest … but, on this occasion, we had a short-head margin. We didn’t have a lot of interference during the incident. State Of Rest did shift in and brush Anamoe and moved him in off his line for two strides, but then had an unimpeded run for 80m to the finishing line and Anamoe was unable to pull that margin back.”

While no cameras were allowed in the protest hearing … so many people would have loved to witness the ever articulate Craig William’s presentation of the case on behalf of Anamoe, if nothing else … full credit to Cram for making himself available to several media outlets following Cox Plate Day to explain the stewards’ decision on the big race protest.

In the interview with Racing.com, Cram also referred to that particular lack of coverage in the steward’s room and whether that situation could be rectified before the upcoming feature races at Flemington.

“Historically, there has been a camera in the stewards’ room at Flemington,” said Cram, “which can be effected off and on at the appropriate times.

“We certainly have no objection to that being utilised again.

“Obviously, we encourage transparency.”

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