Racing: Steward likely to try rule again

A couple of years ago Noel McCutcheon tried to change racing regulations covering the late changing of jockeys.

When a rider became unavailable because of overweight, injury or sickness on raceday, McCutcheon wanted a rule saying such a rider could only be replaced by a jockey of similar stature or weight-claiming ability.

Like for like. In other words you couldn't replace Lester Piggott with a first-year apprentice, nor could you replace a 4kg-claiming apprentice with a non-claiming rider.

It would have brought us into line with Australia.

Punters were entitled to know what they were getting and if a change was necessary it had to as close as possible represent the original package.

McCutcheon lost the case. The board of Thoroughbred Racing New Zealand decided against introducing a regulation to protect punters, apparently, the word is, after several high profile trainers gave private submissions against it.

Expect McCutcheon to try again especially after Tony The Pony's victory at Ellerslie on Saturday.

On hour before the race trainer Brad Peterson approached stipendiary stewards saying he was not prepared to allow Troy Harris ride Tony The Pony because he had engaged him as a 2kg claimer and his weight on the day would allow him to claim only 1kg.

Peterson could engage any rider and legged up first-year apprentice Cory Parish, who took 3kg off Tony The Pony's book weight of 54.5kg.

Tony The Pony led all the way to score narrowly by a short neck, a margin that would clearly have been reversed had the horse claimed only 2kg as was originally scheduled.

"I've been against this all the way through," said McCutcheon.

"I'd like to see it changed - what's wrong with like for like?"

When McCutcheon first tried to regulate, it could have been argued that rider changes were made in time for punters to change their bets, but with the introduction of fixed odds betting that is no longer the case.

Sectional times, particularly in staying races, tell a huge story.

If you are wondering why hot favourite Sphenophyta could finish only fourth behind Tony The Pony you need to know that the winner ran clearly the fastest last 800m of the 10 races on the day.

The 45.79 seconds Tony The Pony came home in after leading was faster than Kristov, who clocked 46.03.

That left no chance for horses coming off the pace and Sphenophyta did well to finish fourth after getting back in the field. Stay with him.

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Trainer Richard Otto had better luck with Atapi, who raced clear in the home straight in his race to confirm Otto's plans to tackle the rich Doncaster Handicap in Sydney.

"I'd like to aim him at the $100,000 race at Tauranga, but I have to be sure winning that will be enough to get him into the Doncaster."

Queensland jockey Michael Rodd rode Atapi and has agreed to partner the horse in Australia.

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Snazzy's immediate future looked in doubt when he pulled up lame in Saturday's Starcraft Stakes.

Lisa Cropp pulled Snazzy out of the race and dismounted to lead the horse back to the birdcage.

Trainer Jeff Lynds yesterday said the horse was not in danger.

"However, he did sustain an injury to his near foreleg. We'll take the bandages off and have the injury assessed tomorrow."

Snazzy, a 4-year-old gelding by Danske, has raced 12 times for six wins. His most notable victory was the $100,000 International Stakes

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Graeme Lord always wanted to win a race with Grant Cooksley in the saddle.

It took a while, but at least when Foursfield won at Ellerslie on Saturday, it was a stylish victory.

"I've got a photo at home on the wall of Grant and I aged five," said the former top jumps jockey. "We were mates from Palmerston North and from as long as I can remember both of us wanted to be jockeys."

Lord races Foursfield with Cambridge farrier Kim Hughes and his wife Vicky.

Lord was so excited at having Cooksley on the horse he asked trainer Moira Murdoch if she'd mind if he legged his mate into the saddle.

Foursfield used a lot of fuel racing around the field to lead after 350m but cleared right away to score easily.