Correct weight was held up as a result of the connections of runner-up Irish Moon lodging a protest. Irish Moon's rider Cameron Lammas maintained Dell moved away from the rail on straightening in the home straight and was not sufficiently clear when he took the gap between the two leaders Lammas said he was entitled to.
"I was just winding my horse up for a sprint and it took a long time to wind him up the second time. He would have won had he made that gap the winner took off me."
It was difficult not to have sympathy for Lammas' reasoning, but the half length margin persuaded the JCA that placings should stand. A closer margin may have seen a different outcome.
Scott Lucock arrived in the birdcage with a bleeding mouth -- surely no one can cheer a horse home that hard. "No, Zinjete Moki was standing alongside me during the race and she got so excited in the closing stages with waving her arms around and she struck me in the mouth." There is no pain after winning a $70,000 sprint.
Favourite Ryan Mark finished third, but was a beaten horse on the home bend and was running on courage for the final 375m. "He's feeling his wheels (needs easier ground)," said rider Michael Coleman.
Tailed right off was high class sprinter Durham Town, winner of eight races and $417,000. Rider Sam Spratt said the veteran had not felt right, but yesterday co-trainer Donna Logan said she could find nothing amiss with the horse. "He cleaned up his feed when he got home, is not sore or anything like that, so I can't say what that was all about. It's the worst race he's ever turned in, but there's nothing wrong with him.
"He'll have a saddle on him tomorrow.
"This is a real head-shaker."
What the jockeys said
Stella Artois Concorde Handicap
1st Statham Chris Dell: Got a perfect trail on him, gate 2 meant we were always going to get a good spot, he came out and attacked them hard. Going to a Group 1 next start. After today I think he'll be very competitive.
2nd Irish Moon Cameron Lammas: Lovely run, waited for a gap to open, sadly we were hampered and he's stormed home.
3rd Ryan Mark Michael Coleman: Good run, he's just feeling the ground a little bit, but he tried hard.
4th Fast Dragon Mark Hills: Good run, we led them up and he did it tough. He'll only improve.
5th Fascination Street Mark Du Plessis: Good run, just over-raced a little, we were in behind Ryan Mark on the corner and thought I was going to win, just did too much early.
6th Riding Shotgun Alysha Collett: Beautiful run, will go very close next start.
7th Trepidation Cory Parish: Jumped well. We were in a good position, but took a little time to settle. Only made a little ground but the bias was against us today.
8th To Be Sure Sam Collett: Really happy with him, he'll improve at a mile, lacked the early speed and copped a little check. He kept coming under his own steam.
9th Whosyourmaster Michael McNab: Horse is flying. Slightly sluggish away, we were quite far back. We got to the outside and sprinted hard. We just couldn't make the ground with the 60kgs.
10th Il Cavallo Trudy Thornton: He's pulled up just a little short, he might have pulled a muscle or something.
Last Durham Town Sam Spratt: Missed the kick a fraction and got a little check, he didn't feel the best.
