Kingston Town Classic 2016: No Justice for unlucky owner
POLL: A BRISBANE man can lay claim to being the most unlucky owner in Australia after narrowly losing two $1 million races in a year in controversial circumstances.
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A BRISBANE man can lay claim to being the most unlucky owner in Australia after narrowly losing two $1 million races in a year when the jockeys were accused of stopping riding before the finish line.
On Saturday, Bill Andrews watched the horse he part-owns, Scales Of Justice, lose by a nose to Stratum Star in the $1 million Kingston Town Classic (1800m) in Perth.
Hong Kong-based jockey Douglas Whyte has pleaded not guilty after stewards charged him for not riding Scales Of Justice out to the line.
It was a case of deja vu for Andrews, who only 11 months earlier watched another horse he part-owns, Feltre, go down by a half-head to Tinto in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy on the Gold Coast.
Queensland stewards later fined jockey Ryan Wiggins $1000 for failing to ride his mount out to the line.
“You can’t believe it, can you,” Andrews said from Perth.
Congratulations to Warrnambool trainer @DKWeirRacing with Stratum Star winning the Group One Kingston Town Classic @PerthRacing yesterday pic.twitter.com/p3vxK8vnrw
â SWOTRA (@swotrawbool) December 4, 2016
“What odds would that be? Two $1 million races, two jockeys gone the early crow and stopped riding just before the line and they get beaten a nose with the same owner. You have to cop it.”
West Australian stewards will stay in touch with Whyte to work out the best time for a hearing into the charge.
It appeared Whyte misjudged the finishing line when he stopped riding 20m out.
The superstar jockey told stewards that although he had stopped using the whip, he had still been pushing with his left hand.
Scales Of Justice’s trainer Lindsey Smith and managing owner Chris Wells said they were happy with the ride.
Racing WA Stewards will compile various camera angles of y'days Kingston Town Classic finish and send to Scales of Justice trainer/owners.
â Andrew Bensley (@AndrewBensley) December 4, 2016
Whyte asked the stewards whether he was being charged for not using the whip.
Smith said Scales Of Justice was beaten at that stage.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if he hit it two or three times,” he told the stewards’ inquiry by phone as he had left the course.
Whyte said Scales Of Justice had to work from his outside draw and then was taken on in the lead by Mackintosh, which forced him to go earlier than he wanted.
He said Scales Of Justice was a tired horse and he was just trying to coax the best out of him.
Chief steward Brad Lewis said they were concerned with Whyte’s riding after viewing the Hawk-Eye vision, which Smith and Wells hadn’t seen.
Whyte flew back to Hong Kong on Saturday night. Stewards will reconvene the inquiry on a day when Whyte can view the footage through a videolink.
If found guilty, the South African is likely to cop a hefty suspension.
Whyte said he would ride Scales Of Justice in March’s Australian Cup at Flemington.