Racing: The Hombre confirms Derby start

Initially Hastings horseman John Bary wasn't sure about The Hombre's protest in Saturday's A$125,000 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben.

But once he saw the stewards' head-on electronic vision of the interference by first-past-the-post Tee Emar he knew the race was his.

"But even then you have this thing in the back of your mind that you're Kiwi in Australia and it's their race."

Once the vision had been displayed and evidence taken, stewards required less than one minute with the connections outside the inquiry room to declare a change of placings.

The bump Tee Emar and rider Luke Nolan gave to The Hombre at the 250m definitely cost the New Zealander being first across the finish line.

But through the years in Australia we've seen races that looked as clearcut that have not been changed around in the inquiry room.

"When I saw it live, I thought: 'Gee, that's a pretty bad bump', but it wasn't until you saw it head-on in the stewards' room that you realise how bad the bump actually was," said Bary.

Chief steward Wade Birch was in no doubt.

"Tee Emar shifted at least two or three horses and caused significant interference and we are convinced The Hombre would have won had that not happened."

Central Districts jockey Jonathan Riddell was always confident he would get the result in the room.

This was a massive result for 40-year-old John Bary, who has been training only a couple of years after coming from an international polo background

An even bigger result will be the A$500,000 Queensland Derby on June 12.

Bary now has a big decision to make, but before he boarded his flight back to New Zealand yesterday he was certain he'd already made it.

The Derby is four weeks away and Bary is adamant he does not want to run The Hombre again before then.

Wise heads are all telling him a month without a race leading into a tough 2400m race is suicide.

Bary even has an added problem that The Hombre is eating massive feeds in Queensland - much bigger than he was used to at home - and is thriving as a result.

There is no arrogance in John Bary that makes him say he knows better than the big-winning traditionalists like Bart Cummings.

But he says he knows his horse.

For more than a decade Bary made a lot of money playing international polo playing out of the Unites States and, occasionally, Argentina and a big part of that was knowing how to travel your horse and have it in peak condition for a big occasion.

In that sense he is a trainer of long experience.

"It's a matter of knowing your horse. It's about keeping them happy - there's no real secret to it.

"If they're happy they'll eat.

"The Hombre is a big horse, but he doesn't carry a lot of condition.

"His best races are when he's fresh.

"I will nominate him for the Grand Prix as a lead-up, but I'm sure I won't be running him."

Bary did not have a big celebratory team to drink with on Saturday night.

None of his three fellow owners made the trip from New Zealand and he was unsuccessful in convincing Jonathan Riddell to switch his airline booking home from Saturday night until yesterday or today.

One owner Ivan Grieve was at a wedding in Timaru and Bary is unsure why fellow owners Chris Skerman and John O'Sullivan were not in Brisbane.

"I do know John won't be here for the Derby because the All Blacks are playing Ireland in New Plymouth that day."

* The Hombre landed some big-money bets with the dramatic win.

As much as $14 was bet about him for the Rough Habit as late as mid-day on Friday and he started at $5.50 on Saturday.

His Derby price on Friday morning was $41, which had shortened into $21 just before Saturday's race.

Yesterday, The Hombre was the $5 Queensland Derby favourite.

Second favourite at $6.50 is last-start Melbourne winner Kutchinsky, with four horses on $8: Time Keeper, Dariana, Summer Dash and Tee Emar.

Queensland Joy:

* New Zealander The Hombre landed some big bets.

* But he had to wait until stewards awarded him the race in the inquiry room.

* Melbourne 3-year-old Tee Emar badly bumped The Hombre early in the home straight.