Racing: Kiwi star beaten in 'Sulkygate'

Terror To Love (number 11). File photo / Brett Phibbs

Kiwi champ Terror To Love has been beaten in a farcical Ballarat Cup rocked by what is being dubbed Sulkygate.

The $2.5 million winner was downed by I'm Corzin Terror as the $1.10 favourite after sitting last before flashing home in the group one race reduced to just four starters.

The bizarre situation arose after HRV stewards found several UFO brand sulkies to be used on Saturday night were 1350mm wide, 50mm wider than allowed.

They had been alerted to that possibility by Harness Racing Australia last Wednesday and measured some sulkies at a meeting on Thursday, all of which were found to be legal size.

But when other sulkies were measured on Saturday night they were found to be too wide, leaving the stewards with little choice but to ban their use.

Some trainers simply changed sulkies and raced on but others were reluctant to do so, especially as some horses can strike the sulky wheels with their back legs racing unfamiliar, smaller sulkies.

The most dramatic reaction came from local trainer Emma Stewart, who scratched all four of her horses in the Cup, including three of the favourites, Guaranteed, Philadelphia Man and Restrepo.

She suggested yesterday that legal action would be taken against HRV or the stewards, saying none of her horses could have started as all were set to race in the larger sulkies. "We had a horse win the last race at Melton on Friday night in the same sulky, then this happens," said Stewart.

HRV boss John Anderson said he was disappointed by the lack of communication from stewards to trainers to tell them they had concerns about the sulky widths and would be measuring them.

The majority of UFO sulkies are within the rules, with suggestions either one batch of larger sulkies was imported or extended after arrival in Australia.