Racing: Gear failure a mystery

Even stipendiary steward Alan Coles cannot understand how Laura Tunnell's stirrup iron came undone.

Coles inspected the saddle immediately after she stepped off the weigh-in scale and could find nothing wrong with the equipment.

Falling off was not Tunnell's only worry during the last round - she had to grip the saddle tightly with a chipped knee, the legacy of falling off a Browne jumper in a steeplechase at Te Awamutu in 2001.

The pain was still evident after the race, despite the help of the Winners Circle hospitality room.

"This morning I feel like I've been hit by a train," said Tunnell yesterday.

Immediately after Saturday's win, Alan James declared he would keep Starbo going through to the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November.

But there was a change of mind yesterday morning and Starbo will now not look at the 3200m.

"We've been having second thoughts for some time about how long he has been in work," said Tunnell.

He was in work in January.

Tunnell is uncertain as to her own future - she came back to the saddle this winter solely to ride Starbo and is unsure how long she will continue riding.

"I'm here solely for Starbo and I don't know if I'll continue to race ride when he's finished.

"I'll always ride trackwork and then there's Alan's other horses. We're about to start schooling Jonnyhil and there is the 2-year-old Meyner, who finished fourth in the babies race at Wanganui last week."

Tunnell wanted to mention her 19-month-old daughter, Jane, whom she has taught to watch Starbo race on television.

"She can say Starbo when she sees him on the screen."

The last word was for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers. "I owe a lot to Mr Browne, and Kevin Myers has helped me a lot. He has sat down with me and gone over my races and told me what I've done wrong.

"He gives me pep talks. The last thing he said to me this week for this ride is 'Don't go too soon'.

Tunnell certainly obeyed that instruction.