Racing: Rollout The Carpet runs out of carpet

Herald photographer Sarah Ivey is now on a first-name basis with Rollout The Carpet (far right) after their unexpected meeting at Ellerslie. Photo / Sarah Ivey

If you thought James McDonald's eyes shone like the brightest star when he returned after winning on Scarlett Lady at Ellerslie on Saturday, you should have seen them one hour later.

That was when McDonald discovered he faced no riding interference charges over Rollout The Carpet losing the $200,000 Ellerslie Diamond Stakes.

There might have been good reasons why he didn't get charged, but this was a huge relief.

The Diamond Stakes was a disaster - there is no other way to describe it.

Rollout The Carpet carved up half the field in the home straight, still finished first past the post, but inevitably lost the race in the inquiry room.

Rollout The Carpet went essentially from the inside running rail to the outside rail. In the inquiry room co-trainer Jeff McVean blamed birds on the track on the Ellerslie home bend.

But that was not the end of it. Rollout The Carpet might have shied at that point, but within a few strides bolted completely blind.

When horses bolt blind you do not want to be on them.

When Rollout The Carpet got to the outside rail - unlike most horses in that situation - she didn't really want to straighten up.

Twice she had a crack at the outside rail. The NZ Herald photographer Sarah Ivey was nearly knocked off her stand opposite the winning post when Rollout The Carpet swished down hard against the running rail.

"I had the camera focused on the middle horse [eventual winner Warhorse] and suddenly this horse appears on the sight of my camera, almost on top of me. I swear he wasn't that far away [indicating about 20cm]."

McDonald said later he felt the outside toe on his left foot hit one of the steel uprights of the running rail.

If that toe had made solid contact, the result could have been disastrous.

The race inquiry was something of a bunfight, which faded out to be solely whether the first two placings were going to be reversed.

That was never in doubt, but nothing else eventuated. The fact Rollout The Carpet held second was obviously within the rules, but then some questioned the rules.

Co-owner Jeff McVean, keen to imply the fault of Rollout The Carpet could be blamed on birds on the track as the home straight was approached, wasn't sure of the entire scenario.

If Rollout The Carpet had been spooked by birds on the track, she certainly switched into another gear once past that spot.

A horse bolting blind is a shocking thing, but that is what she did.

Master horseman Jeff McVean was yesterday trying to work out what happened. "Possibly when James reefed her when she was off line the tongue control bit got jammed and she [got] in a bit of panic."

McVean expects to know more when Rollout The Carpet has barrier trials at Te Awamutu in two weeks.

To cap off McDonald's day, no charges were laid after a delayed inquiry into his handling of Shez Sinsational in the Nathans Memorial on the first day of the carnival.