Bungled start drives punters to Liquor at Doomben

An official at Doomben said he did not see a jockey thrown off her horse before the start of a race, leading to a bungled jump, bizarre circumstances and four non-runners.

Jockey Samantha Collett is dislodged from her mount Glorious Ruby before the start of race six at Doomben on Saturday.

A starter at Doomben said he did not see a jockey thrown off her horse, which led to a bungled start being affected on Saturday in bizarre circumstances.

Stewards were forced to declare four non runners in the Fillies and Mares Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) after the gates were opened just seconds after jockey Sam Collett was catapulted out the back of the barriers when her horse Glorious Ruby lunged at the gates.

All 11 jockeys from the race were called before stewards after it was won by Angela Jones aboard the Tony Gollan-trained Liquor, with stewards ultimately determining it should be declared a race, minus the non starters.

When questioned by stewards, starter Hyrendo Anderson said he wasn’t aware that Collett had been thrown from her mount when he affected the start.

Experienced riders Michael Rodd (Bold And Lucy) and Vlad Duric (Nanagui), along with Damien Thornton (Jayanthai) and Jake Bayliss (Amore Veloce) were the only jockeys to argue that their horses were not afforded a fair start in the circumstances, with stewards agreeing, declaring their mounts non-runners.

4yo mare Liquor with Angela Jones on board takes her impressive career record to 6 wins from 12 starts with a strong victory in today’s Fillies & Mares BM78 Hcp 1110m at Doomben. pic.twitter.com/dkh5Ojlsok

— Gollan Racing (@tonygollan) July 13, 2024

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Under the Australian Rules of Racing however, Thornton’s mount Jayanthai was not able to be declared a non-runner as she finished in the official placings (second).

“I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t lined up and my horse didn’t get a fair start,” Rodd, who had already ridden three winners, told stewards in the inquiry.

“I only had one hand on the reins, I sat up thinking the siren for a false start would go after the gates opened.”

Collett escaped the ordeal with a clean bill of health, with her horse Glorious Ruby also declared a non-runner.

“Mine anticipated the start – when the gates didn’t open we slipped back, it wasn’t as if it was in there misbehaving,” she said.

Originally published as Bungled start drives punters to Liquor at Doomben