Peter Graham, a renowned cleanskin, was grilled by stewards for a number of races after his ride on Haames in the Highway event on Saturday.
Stewards wanted to know why he didn’t go to the outside of Guided at the 600m after he went up the inside. Graham admitted it was an error but couldn’t understand why the stipes were questioning him so hard and for so long.
“I think you are being a bit harsh,” he told chief steward Marc Van Gestel. “I’m at Randwick, not Kempsey and I was happy to keep poking along up the long straight.”
Deputy chief steward Philip Dingwall chimed in: “You’re waiting for things to happen instead of making your own options”.
Stewards eventually agreed it was an error of judgment. Graham left bemused by it all.
Meech milestone
Linda Meech became the first dual licence holder (jockey and trainer) to ride a winner in NSW on Saturday at Randwick when piloting Star Fall to an easy win. “I came up here to be a jockey so I wasn’t worried about the training,” she said. “Randwick is great and hopefully this horse might be (a Group 1 winner) one day.”
Firm footing
There’s been so much debate about how much water should put on our tracks with fears they’re too hard and causing injuries. Well, Glenn Innes was rated a Firm 1 on Saturday, something we rarely see, unless we’re in Japan. “It would take at least 10ml of rain and almost double in irrigation to get that back into the Good range,” said Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani.
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Which racing identity was denied access to the owners and trainers area next to the Theatre of the Horse on Saturday?
Long shots
Just about every time a horse is nominated for the All Star Mile there’s a press release sent out but we had to roll our eyes when a release on the nominations of Melbourne Cup winners Rekindling and Almandin was written. Rekindling hasn’t even raced since the 2017 Cup and Almandin’s last run was in the Sydney Cup last autumn.
Country hopefuls
Danny Williams was licking his lips after Acquittal (third) and Highway Sixtysix (seventh) ran in the opener at Randwick on Saturday. Both want more than 1000m and are on track for their Country Championships heat at Goulburn on March 2. “They raced well above themselves and are going to improve a lot off those runs,” he said. “They didn’t even have a trial or jump out before those runs and I figured I may as well take them to the races for some prizemoney.”
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Hawkesbury Race Club continues to improve its infrastructure. The trainers have a new hut and the TV media soon will well before the club’s Stand Alone meeting in April.
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The punter that had $ 25,000 on Marsupial must have felt sick a long way out from home in the Summer Sprint. Same goes to the punter who plonked $ 25,000 on Hemmerle in the Highway race.
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Check out this foal. It would be a cult hero if it hit the race track.
HORSES TO FOLLOW: Toryjoy (another chance), Haames (unlucky), Exceltic (flew home over short trip)
ONES TO SACK: Seahampton (non-winner), Miss Invincible (racing too fierce)
RIDE OF THE DAY: Christian Reith on Taniko (did everything right after missing the kick)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Maybe that’s why I’m a bush jockey,” said Peter Graham in the inquiry into his ride on Haames.
