By MIKE DILLON
"If I hadn't won the Railway, I'd be crying now," said a disconsolate Michael Coleman after Second Coming finished a luckless second to Able Master in yesterday's Auckland Cup.
The luck that sat in Coleman's lap to win the $250,000 Railway with Cannsea deserted him a couple of hours later when Second Coming was knocked sideways 375m from the finish before being edged out by a long head.
But racing is not about excuses as the Cannsea camp had reason to reflect after Cullen's Railway performance and Coleman took the defeat calmly.
Able Master himself was no stranger to bad luck, losing yesterday's winning rider Grant Cooksley 900m out in the Melbourne Cup.
Able Master's one-race preparation since Melbourne might seem as off-the-wall as running a marathon on a few jogs around the block, but trainer Bruce Wallace knew what he was doing all along.
The Zabeel stayer had a 2200m race at Ellerslie last Tuesday after which Wallace was happy, if not confident.
The master stroke in increasing that confidence was the 48-hour delay when the Cup and Railway were rescheduled from Saturday to yesterday.
"I took him home and galloped him 2000m when the race was called off on Saturday," said Wallace.
"It made a difference."
Wallace admitted he has concentrated his top horses on the big money on offer at the Australian carnivals - Star Dancer and Lord Revenir were two stable stars who made their name across the Tasman.
"It's great to win a big race at home," he said.
The win was Cooksley's third Auckland Cup, Spyglass and Yobro easing the pain the Sydney-based jockey felt at losing the race on Flying Luskin when nosed out by Miss Stanima.
While Michael Coleman was adamant Second Coming should have won, Cooksley was equally firm that Able Master would have been unlucky to lose.
Certainly Second Coming looked certain to run past Able Master in the final stages, but the winner kicked back strongly and was holding Second Coming in the final strides.
"He'll be even better with a hood on," said Cooksley of Able Master.
"When Second Coming came at him late he said: "Well, what do you want me to do now."
"He went again and he'd be more focussed if he wore blinkers."
Cooksley and Wallace had 20 minutes to wait through an unsuccessful inquiry lodged by Linda Ballantyne, rider of third-placed In My Time alleging interference between the 250m and 120m.
Mike Moroney had been confident of a huge effort from Second Coming.
"I was sure we'd finally got him right, what a shame he was turned sideways in the home straight.
"We'll aim him at the Wellington Cup then give him a long spell and prepare him for the Melbourne Cup again."
Sir Patrick Hogan had no luck with his own mare Ana Zeel, who beat only one home but was the first to congratulate Wallace and himself, as Zabeel had sired yet another group one winner.
But the biggest smile came from Cooksley.
He might have spent the major part of his career overseas, but his Ellerslie record says three Auckland Cups, three Derbys, two JRC Classics, one Railway and don't forget - a Great Northern Steeplechase aboard Ballycastle back in 1978.
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