THE order of the finish for the 1000-metre round race one came under much scrutiny by the race day operation stewards.

In addition to their inquiry a jockey’s objection was lodged against first past the post
Absolute Blue (1-2), trained by Ryan Darby, for the first of a stable double. The horse was piloted by leading reinsman Tevin Foster for the first of a riding triple on the day.

Absolute Blue bettered chief rival, 5-2 bet Conundrum (Raddesh Roman), by a head. Seven hundred metres out Roman took up the head of his mount in early anticipation that the eventual winner might edge left and cost him ground.

The stewards eventually allowed the result to stand but I suspect it was not unanimous given the lengthy duration of the deliberations. Roman imagined the “interference” and there was certainly no “intimidation”.

In race two, 7-2 backed Another Wave (Paul Francis) — looking for a third-consecutive success — did trainer Adrian Prince’s stable — in the first of a double — a good turn by cantering in 12 lengths ahead of five rivals over the 1300 metres of race two.

For race three, run at 1200 metres, the progressive form of Benson (2-1), partnered by two-kilogramme claimer Shane Richardson and declared by Fitznahum Williams, continued with victory exceeding five lengths.

Ridden by Raddesh Roman, Cataba (4-5) confirmed the Ryan Darby stable double with an uncontested romp of over nine lengths contesting the 1100 metres of race four.

In race five, over the 1000 metres of the straight course, US-bred three-year-old debutant
Grand Rapido (7-2) scored by two lengths, with Aaron Chatrie executing the riding honours for first-season trainer Nicholas Wehby’s second career success.

Race six, a maiden event for three-year-olds over the straight course, was dominated in front to the tune of five and a half lengths by Ride Natty Ride (9-1), ridden by champion Reyan Lewis for trainer Dale Murphy’s first of the season.

Half an hour later Foster’s second of three came over the 1300 metres of race seven, with maiden Atomic Energy (4-5) scoring by seven lengths for trainer Adrian Prince’s second of his stable double.

Featured on the programme of 11 races was the divided Hubert “Chinna” Bartley Trophy over 1400 metres, and trainer Gregg Fennell’s Milos (8-1), under Robert Halledeen, held by a neck to score at the expense of 1-5 favourite Digital One (Tevin Foster).

In Division II Halledeen secured a riding double with 8-5 favourite Fred The Great (USA), giving trainer Jason DaCosta the opener of a double.

Long-serving veteran Arnold Rambally posted 13-1 bet Boasey in superb condition to win the 1200-metre 10th event with a brave front-running effort, scoring by just over a length under lightweight jockey Jordan Barrett.

Seemingly inevitable, Foster’s three-timer and so too DaCosta’s stable double was confirmed in the 1000-metre straight nightcap, with 4-5 bet favourite
Password driven home by a half-length.

Conditioners Prince and Rambally — having promoted horses winning for the first time against stiffer opposition — are in the conversation for the Training Feat Award but the improvement of Milos to progress to the Open Allowance level with the Best Winning Gallop tips it in favour of Gregg Fennell.

For the Jockeyship Award the performances of Foster in races one and 11, and Barrett in race 10 merited consideration. However for Halledeen, whose mounts returned combined winning distances of less than a length in the divided feature, it meant the reinsman had no margin for errors.