Juveniles Unencumbered and Giuliani were given a rough and tumble initiation into racing after a duel that tipped over into the stewards room at Randwick on Saturday.
Both making their debut in the Sharp Plate (1000m), the colts got in each other’s way in the straight with Unencumbered holding Giuliani by a half length.
Unencumbered - Photo by Steve Hart
Adam Hyeronimus, rider of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Guiliani, fired in a protest against Nathan Berry on the winner, claiming interference over the final 200m.
But stewards extended their investigations further back to the home turn during a lively hearing which had Unencumbered’s trainer Bjorn Baker wondering if the horse had been incorrectly named.
“He didn’t live up to his name Unencumbered today because he got hampered the whole way down the straight,” Baker said.
The heavily backed Guiliani was slow to jump before being hustled to within striking distance of the leaders on the bend.
Hyeronimus admitted the colt struggled to negotiate the corner and drifted out, presenting a run for Berry on Unencumbered who was back behind the speed on the rail.
“I’ve edged out towards that run. I don’t know if Adam’s read the play of what I was going to do but he’s made a beeline to shut the door on me … to shove my mount back behind heels,” Berry told stewards.
Unencumbered shouldered out and sprinted quickly and Guiliani tried to sprint with him, the pair brushing a couple of times before Unencumbered made a sharper move outwards at the 75m.
It was that contact which interested stewards most but they found Unencumbered’s winning margin too great to overturn the result.
A relieved Baker said Unencumbered would be set for the Magic Millions in January but he was undecided on whether the two-year-old would race again before being given a break to prepare for that race.
He said the bulk of his team were young horses and he was thrilled to get an early-season juvenile result.
“You can get excited about horses like these that come out of the Magic Millions sale and give you a chance,” Baker said.
“Things have been a bit lean of late so it’s nice to get a winner, particularly with a two-year-old.”
