Senior jockey Larry Cassidy and premier Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote are embroiled in a running and handling inquiry into Trump’s third at Doomben on Saturday.
Racing Queensland stewards will inspect all betting activities before reconvening the inquiry.
Cassidy and Heathcote were grilled by stewards in several adjourned inquiries throughout the day after $1.70 favourite Trump finished third to his stablemate Bevico Girl in Saturday’s Coolabah Tree Cafe Handicap (1615m).
Trump, who was chasing his third successive win, was on trial for a trip to Melbourne for the spring.
Immediately after the race, Heathcote was furious with Cassidy’s handling of the three-year-old who was caught three wide.
Stewards took a dim view of Cassidy’s handling of Trump shortly after the start when the rider was presented with an opportunity to go forward.
“My chief concern is why you didn’t try to improve around them about 100 metres after the start,” chief steward Wade Birch told the jockey.
“Instead you unnecessarily restrained him which resulted in you being caught three wide.”
Cassidy told stewards Trump raced with his head in the air after the gates opened and wanted to hang badly.
“On paper it was a bad ride but I can tell you why,” Cassidy told the inquiry.
“I tried to get him to relax as he can fire up.
“Two horses kicked up on his inside and I was on one rein and couldn’t get back in.”
Heathcote said his instructions to Cassidy weren’t specific as Cassidy knew Trump after riding him previously.
“But there’s no doubt it wasn’t one of Larry’s better rides. It was a poor ride,” Heathcote said.
“In the heat of the moment I was bitterly disappointed but Trump still ran a great race to run third.”
Heathcote said he did not have a wager on the race but believed connections of Trump and Bevico Girl may have supported their runners.
“Personally, I never had a bet but I do a blog for all my owners,” Heathcote said.
“I’ve made no secret that I think Trump is a very good horse and I’m thinking of taking him to Melbourne.”
Outside the inquiry Heathcote said he was still inclined to send Trump south despite his defeat.
The inquiry was adjourned to a date to be fixed to allow stewards to inspect betting activities with corporate bookmakers, Betfair, oncourse bookmakers and TABs around the country.
Heathcote, last season’s Queensland Trainer Of The Year, had one of the best days of his career last Saturday, training a double with Buffering and Woorim at Moonee Valley.
Buffering won the Group Two McEwen Stakes (1000m) while Woorim produced a dazzling finish to claim the 1200-metre Open Handicap.
AAP TURF
