KEY POINTS:
The complexion was even greyer than usual. Noel Harris was extremely upset and that bubbly personality that allows him to remain one of our top riders at 51 is not easily upset.
The allegation that he had been part of the "jigger incident" in Saturday's $700,000 Mercedes Derby
offended him.
"I've been riding for 35 years. What makes someone think I'd be involved in something ridiculous like that.
"Do they think I'm stupid."
You had to feel for Harris, and even more for winning rider Vinny Colgan.
Their approach to being accused of cheating was different - once Colgan knew the inquiry was not about race interference he started smiling.
He knew that outside of Sydney colt Redoute's Dancer checking another runner, he'd done nothing wrong.
Harris clearly remained offended.
The tragedy in all of this is that so much that should have been admired has been overshadowed.
Like Colgan's wonderful ride to somehow get Redoute's Dancer to the inside rail from a midfield draw after an early buffeting.
You wouldn't have been taking the $2.90 showing on the tote about Colgan's chances of getting the Sydney visitor off from an awkward midfield rails position at the 700m.
But he somehow managed to ease out as the horses pulled a bit wider to propel forward and was there to challenge at the right time when a gap presented itself as the field swung into the home straight.
And let's not forget Lisa Cropp's ride.
She might be vilified in many circles for her after-race call, but during it she could not have ridden runner-up Mettre En Jeu better.
After trailing early, she pulled the long-striding Mettre En Jeu into the open to go up three wide to be where she could lodge her challenge at exactly the point she wanted to, rather than being dictated to.
Mettre En Jeu drove clear and for 100m looked the winner, but Redoute's Dancer was relentless after the comfortable run he'd been given and proved just too strong.
There were good runs behind the first two - Uberalles proved the point of trainer Mark Walker that she'd been luckless lately by finishing third, and fourth-placed Keepem did well for visiting Queensland rider Stathi Katsidis to finish fourth.
Keepem was pushed back early and Katsidis showed his talent to pick a path through the field on him from the 700m rather than cover ground wide.
Nothing finished faster than Resolution, who clearly recorded the fastest last 600m after being last at the 700m.
Melbourne's Currigee finished sixth ahead of the filly Veloce Bella, who had her chance.
Second favourite Magic Cape copped two serious checks in the first 75m when two runners outside him came across sharply and he settled well back.
He finished ninth without ever looking to get into the race and rider Opie Bosson was unable to pinpoint one factor that saw the talented 3-year-old out of the money.
"I'm not sure he saw out the trip," said Bosson, and trainer Shaune Ritchie was inclined to agree.
"He also felt the hard track a fraction."
Apart from being understandably tired, Magic Cape was fine yesterday and Ritchie said he will give the 3-year-old two weeks in the paddock.
"We certainly won't be running him over 2400m again as a 3-year-old. We've got the Queensland Guineas over 1600m as an option or we could spell him and bring him back early in the spring."
