Eagle Farm Wrap-Up - Super Saturday Raceday
SUPER Saturday at Eagle Farm saw crowds flock to all of the popular carnival areas to take in the monster action down south and the biggest cheer for the day was reserved for local idol Incentivise, who romped home in the Caulfield Cup.
While bookies reported interest for many runners in the TAB Everest, Incentivise dominated Caulfield Cup betting and he lived up to the expectations.
A huge roar echoed out of the many bubbling Eagle Farm entertainment areas as Brett Prebble sent the Queensland-bred gelding clear in the straight.
The scene is now set for more celebrations on the First Tuesday in November when Incentivise attempts to create a little more history.
It’s hard to believe how far he’s come since winning a Benchmark 80 Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 5, the race that prompted interstate buyers to come knocking on owner-breeder-trainer Steve Tregea’s door.
Tregea decided to take in the action from home on the Darling Downs on Saturday, but leading into the Cup he had a pre-Cup celebration when Prioritise broke a run of outs to land a big betting move in the Open Handicap.
Eagle Farm trainers Chris Munce and Tony Gollan shared the spoils on their home deck, each landing a double.
But the talking point from Eagle Farm came early in the day after the meeting began in bizarre circumstances.
Protests are not uncommon but to have more than one dealt with by stewards at a meeting is a little unusual.
So when no less than SIX objections were lobbed in the first two races, punters were scratching their heads as to how to work it all out.
In the end, QRIC Chief Steward Peter Chadwick made it easy, with he and the panel dismissing all six objections.
The most unusual of all came in the first race when Kyle Wilson-Taylor (Vendidit) lobbed in a protest against Jim Byrne (Ciccina) after the pair dead-heated. Wilson-Taylor alleged interference in the last 200m when Ciccina hung in.
But Byrne counter-punched, lobbing an objection of his own, claiming he lost ground at the 1200m point of the race when Wilson-Taylor crossed when he wasn’t two lengths clear.
The panel deliberated for some time before connections were called back into the stewards’ room and Chadwick ruled both incidents cancelled the other out and therefore the dead-heat remained.
Les Ross was all smiles after the wayward Mishani Persuasion claimed the second race from stablemate Alert State, with the former surviving protests from third placed Hattusa (Mark Du Plessis) and fourth past the post Mishani Mistress (Madeleine Wishart).
Mishani Persuasion’s rider Jackson Morris told stewards his mount “would have won by 10 lengths” if he had gone straight, before amending the statement soon after to “five lengths.”
Either way, Ross and his key owner Mike Crooks were in the money with the QTIS-boosted quinella.