Ireland’s State of Rest has taken out the $5 million Cox Plate after a protest by the second-placed Anamoe was dismissed following a controversial finish.
State of Rest won the race in a photo finish, but not before a controversial final 200m which saw it bump Anamoe, prompting the protest.
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After a lengthy hearing between the two camps, the protest was dismissed by Racing Victoria stewards, giving trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey Johnny Allen a famous victory.
“It’s unbelievable. Today is nothing but a true reflection of what it took to get this horse here today,” O’Brien’s travelling foreman Mark Power said.
“Johnny Allen was super on him, you won’t get stronger than him inside the last 200 metres from Johnny there.”
The final decision was somewhat of a shock, particularly after 2015 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne said Anamoe had grounds for the protest to be upheld after its momentum was halted in the clash between the two horses.
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“The key factor is that Anamoe was making up the ground until he actually got bumped and then it stopped his momentum from picking up the ground he was making up before that interference occurred,” she said on Seven’s coverage.
“The other thing is, he crowds his whip space. We’re in the final stages of a race and he’s definitely shifted in, it’s against the rules of racing and definitely makes contact and puts him off core.”
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The controversial finish came after the pre-race favourite Zaaki was ruled out on the morning of the race due to an elevated temperature.
“Absolutely devastated to report that Zaaki had been scratched from the Cox Plate due to an elevated temperature,” Zaaki’s trainer Annabelle Neasham posted.
“Gutted for connections and James McDonald.”
In another action-packed day of racing, Kerrin McEvoy took out yet another race, winning the $2 million Invitational on Icebath.