CUP CALLED OFF

Carnage, controversy mars feature race at Randwick

THE Sydney Cup was sensationally called a no-race after one horse broke down and two riders were dislodged in a shocking incident just past the winning post the first time at Royal Randwick yesterday.

Almoonqith suffered a catastrophic breakdown and was later euthanised, while jockeys Blake Shinn (Who Shot Thebarman) and James Doyle (Almoonqith) were still on the ground when Racing NSW stewards made the decision to call the Cup a no-race due to safety concerns.

But at least half the remain- ing jockeys in the Sydney Cup field were not aware of the stewards’ controversial call and continued to contest the $2 million race.

Corey Brown, who didn’t know the race had been called off until after he pulled up and was first past the post on Polar- isation, was critical of the decision and said the Sydney Cup should have continued.

“I didn’t know it was a norace until I turned around and started to come back,’’ Brown said. “Going past the post the first time I heard the crowd roar and I heard (race caller) Darren Flindell say one has broken down.

“I kept looking up to see if there was something coming head-on towards us because that is a different story but nothing like that has happened.

“I was saying to Ollie (Dam- ien Oliver) mid-race to keep to the right as there is a riderless horse. Then I come back and they say it is a no-race – how does that work?

“It’s a furlong after the winning post and if it was at the 100m mark I can understand.”

Oliver rode Assign in the Cup and was also critical of the stewards decision.

“It’s a joke – if it had been on the home turn that is a totally different story,’’ Oliver said. “But it is after the race so what effect is it going to have.”

But stewards insisted they had no other choice but to call the Sydney Cup a no-race in the interests of safety.

“The stewards were concerned as the field approached the 1600m in respect to the safety of the two riders – Blake Shinn on Who Shot Thebarman and James Doyle on Almoonqith,” Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel said.

“Having regard to the condition of Almoonqith as the field made the turn into the 1600m, the stewards discussed with the official starter who was positioned at the 800m mark as to whether the race would continue.

“Stewards became concerned that Almoonqith remained motionless on the track and had the potential to get up and run towards the field.

“Also Blake Shinn and James Doyle were still at that point of time situated on the track.”

“The stewards in the order of safety and to ensure no one was going to be further hurt in respect to that incident declared the Sydney Cup a norace on the basis of safety.”