A roller-coaster week for two New Zealand thoroughbred stars ended on a double low in Melbourne and Sydney yesterday.
An unfortunate series of events have not only robbed Taranaki galloper Ladies Man of a spot in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, but not long after, Matamata mare Legarto all but lost her winning chance at the start of the A$10 million Golden Eagle in Sydney.
Legarto was heavily backed late into third favouritism but she jumped poorly at the start and jockey Mick Dee had little option but to go to the inside and try to find runs late.
She got clear way too late and never really had her chance to wind up, finishing 10th in a race won in stunning fashion by Japanese raider Obamburumai, who came from near last, taking short cuts to grab Pericles and Golden Mile.
Obamburumai completed a great week in Australia for horses trained in Asia after Romantic Warrior won the Cox Plate last Saturday.