A PROTEST SCARE ... BUT JACK BE LUCKY PUTS THE FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON ON THE BOARD FOR GERAN RACING

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Sometimes you have to win your race twice … and that’s ok … as long as the steward’s verdict comes down in your favour at the conclusion of a protest hearing after a protest has been fired in against your horse being declared the winner.

That is the process that the Corey and Kylie Geran stable had to endure when a protest was lodged against their race winner Jack Be Lucky following his win, by the narrowest of margins, over Boom By By in a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m.

Not that he needed it necessarily, but if ever a runner deserved to have luck go his way it was Jack Be Lucky.

Yes, he had won two out of his last four races, including a last start win … which meant he was sitting on a double success here … but he had also finished in second place no less than five times in his last eight starts and was less than half-a-length back on three of those occasions!

Another second place … if the protest (second against first) was upheld would have been hard to take.

But the Geran team was spared that disappointment by the stewards.

The relevant extract from the official steward’s report stated:

‘Declaration of correct weight was delayed when App J Molloy, rider of 2nd place getter Boom By By, lodged an objection against 1st place getter Jack Be Lucky (App E Lang) being declared the winner alleging interference on entering the home straight. After taking evidence from the riders involved and connections of the runners as well as viewing the official patrol footage Stewards ascertained that soon after entering the home straight Jack Be Lucky had commenced to lay in and shifted across the running of Boom By By obliging that runner to then shift out to obtain clear running. As Stewards could not be satisfied that had the shift from Jack Be Lucky, which caused no real interference to Boom By By, not occurred that Boom By By would have passed the post before that runner and bearing in mind the official margin of a short half-head the protest was dismissed, with correct weight declared on the Judges semaphored numbers.’
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It was a hard-earned win on the track though, in stark contrast to Jack Be Lucky’s victory romp in his previous start in a Class 1 Handicap over 1100m where he absolutely demolished his opposition leaving his closest rival all of 5.30 lengths in arrears at the line.

On that occasion Jack Be Lucky had led throughout, at first at a measured gallop before Minonette Kennedy opened the throttle at the top of the straight which resulted in Jack be Lucky bounding away to a victory that was every bit as comfortable as the margin of victory suggest.

This time there would be no room for error.

Jack By Lucky, this time in the hands of Emily Lang, again was quickly away at the break, but when another runner Whistling Arrow ($10) wanted the lead, Lang let that one go, and settled in a close-up second place, tracking the leader every stride of the way.

Approaching the home turn, Jack Be Lucky was one out and now almost right alongside Whistling Arrow, but then he cornered wider than he could have and shifted back in on straightening seemingly hampering Boom By By (which is where the grounds for the protest came in).

Once Lang had balanced up Jack Be Lucky though, the Geran trained runner quickly took up the running and set sail for home with Boom By By, who had now crossed Jack Be Lucky’s heels into clear running, giving chase.

Over the final 200m it basically came down to a stride for stride battle with Boom By By having every chance to go past Jack Be Lucky, but throughout that long final chase to the line, Jack Be Lucky had his head in front, an advantage he flatly refused to give up.

When you do have to win it twice, in the particular moment, the emotions when Jack Be Lucky passed the post compared to the feelings when coming out of the steward’s room are arguably completely different with the latter being more one of relief than joy … because you never know what might transpire in a protest hearing.

Either way, Jack Be Lucky was the official winner now for Team Geran, kicking off the new season as they had hoped to do.

Jack Be Lucky, a four-year-old gelding (Holy Roman Emperor – Don’t Bypass Georgia) owned by Mr J C Phelps, is now a three-time winner from thirteen starts with no less than seven minor placings, which has seen him bank $87 935 in prize-money.
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Of the four other runners the Corey and Kylie Geran stable saddled at the Warwick meeting on August 2, they came away with one third place (Uchida – who had shed her Maiden ticket in her pervious start) and two fourth placings (Madam Cha Cha and Craypot).

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