Stewards took the $50,000 race off Captain Hammerhead after ruling his trainer-driver David Moran had dropped his leg in the sulky and made contact with Captain Hammerhead’s back legs when the Shepparton pacer and the Sydney visitor Kanena Provlima were locked together in an epic two-horse duel down the home straight.
Captain Hammerhead rallied near the finishing post to win by 2m with the roughie Sew What third 7m away.
Stewards amended the placings to 2 Kanena Provlima first, 1 Sew What second, 6 Perfect Stride third, 5 Western Sonador fourth and 3 Tact McLeod fifth.
Harness Racing Victoria chairman of stewards Peter Chadwick explained the post-race scenario when stewards delayed declaring all-clear on the race.
“Following the running of the race, the Shepparton Cup, stewards did delay all clear. The reason being that the driver of the first past the post David Moran, his right leg became detached from the sulky and appeared to be there for quite a significant point of time,” Chadwick said.
“The film was quite evident that the foot did become detached and there was contact with the horse’s hind leg on a couple of occasions. We also believe Mr Moran’s foot stayed in that vicinity of the horse’s legs
“The stewards believed the rule 170 part five should be invoked and as such the horse was disqualified and not relegated.
‘‘There’s no part in that rule that actually says the horse can be relegated, it talks about the horse being disqualified.
“It is a big race, we understand the impact it has upon those involved and the connections of that horse that was first past the post, but equally we have to be fair to all the other participants and administer the rules as they are.”
Ironically Kanena Provlima finished second to the Moran-driven Curly James in the same race last year.
If he had retained the race Captain Hammerhead would have given Moran his third piece of silverware in the famous country race in the space of four years.
Moran trained and drove the superstar Lochinvar Art to win the 2021 cup and last year was in the sulky when the Courtney Laker-trained Curly James prevailed.
While Moran missed out other northern Victorian trainers enjoyed wins at the cup meeting.
Avenel trainer Juanita Breen set the mood with a last stride win in the opening event with Roarforroscoe, Bunbartha’s John Newberry landed a double with Diamond Eclipse and Kia Oro Beauty, while Shepparton mentor Steve O’Donoghue completed a hat-trick of wins with Skyfall Benchmark.
· More on those wins and the gold cup meeting in Sulky Shorts in The News and Riverina Herald on Friday.
