Racing NSW stewards say the video footage and final margins were the catalyst to no protests being lodged in an action-packed race at Muswellbrook on Tuesday where the $1.28 favourite Floki was beaten after suffering severe interference in the straight.
The Ben Smith-trained galloper was checked at least three times down the running before finishing third, beaten 2-1/2 lengths by Oakfield Time.
Oakfield Time wins the fifth event at #Muswellbrook! Floki desperately unlucky in third 😳 pic.twitter.com/YNkzdlfx44
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 22, 2017
"Josh Adams reviewed the film with Floki's trainer Mr Smith and elected not to lodge an objection," Shane Cullen chief steward of the Hunter & North West racing association said.
"After they left the room we discussed amongst ourselves whether we thought there were grounds for the stewards to lodge an objection.
"We felt that given the rider and the trainer of the affected horse had view the footage, processed their thoughts and elected not to go ahead with an objection, we being of a similar view decided not to upset the conduct of the day by lodging an objection that we had no intention of upholding."
Floki was held up for a run when behind the leader Oakfield Time entering the straight before Floki's jockey Josh Adams attempted to force a passage between the leader and Final Frontier passing the 300m mark.
"Josh Adams attempted to improve between Oakfield Time and Final Frontier. What's important to note is that Josh Adams does it from a position behind Final Frontier," Cullen said.
"Josh Adams said in his evidence that he was trying to force that run.
"When he's doing that, Paul King (Final Frontier) from a position of a neck or a half-length forward of Josh Adams notices that Josh Adams is attempting that and manoeuvres his horse in to close that potential run.
"There was a run, a horse's width between Final Frontier and Oakfield Time when Oakfield Time shifts inwards as Paul King is attempting to keep Floki in behind that runner.
"Paul King does that in a manner that we say was within the boundaries that we've set.
"We don't want Paul King to leave a saloon passage for the odds-on favourite, Paul King has to do the very best he can on his own mount and if that includes and closing a possible run for any other runner, that's what he's obliged to do."
Stewards took no further action against King over the incident.
Here's the head on vision of R5 at #Muswellbrook. What do you make of it punters? pic.twitter.com/oMSg6oMtkl
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 22, 2017
From there Adams angled Floki back to the inside of Oakfield Time, attempting a rails run inside the final 150m when Serg Lisnyy, the rider aboard Oakfield Time allowed his mount to shift in, causing Floki to hit the inside running rail as he was being checked.
"It's evident that near the 130m there is clearly a run for Floki," Cullen said. "This time Floki establishes that run.
"Oakfield Time was shifting around and shortly after Floki had improved to Oakfield Time's hind-quarter when the leader shifted in under riding.
"Serg Lisnyy shifted somewhere in the vicinity of three-quarters of a horse to a horse under riding and took away the run that Floki had established.
"Regarding a possible protest we had to consider would Floki had won if he's been able to keep that run. There was a reluctance by Floki to improve through that run because it was tight and we couldn't be comfortably satisfied that Floki would have finished ahead of Oakfield Time, as was Josh Adams or the trainer."
Lisnyy pleaded not guilty to a careless riding charge from the incident before stewards found him guilty and he was given a five meeting penalty, which was reduced from seven meetings as Floki's "greenness" was deemed to have contributed to the incident.
