Veteran trainer Rick Hore-Lacy put it down to the march of time, chief steward Terry Bailey had a less charitable view and the owners of talented galloper Chase The Rainbow merely rolled their eyes.
But most of it was forgotten when the talented but unfortunate galloper reached the line in front in Saturday’s Group Three Carlyon Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
Injuries have plagued Chase The Rainbow for much of his career and controversy has surrounded his past couple of runs with owners perplexed at the riding instructions given by their trainer.
Chase The Rainbow, Craig Williams - Photo by Sharon Chapman
The theme continued at Caulfield as Hore-Lacy got the horse ready for a race in which he had decided to add winkers and tongue tie to his gear for the first time this preparation, along with a new shoeing procedure.
Such gear changes must be cleared by the stewards at acceptance time, a procedure Hore-Lacy was convinced he had complied with, only to be informed he had mistakenly sought permission for the gear to be used by another of his horses engaged at the meeting.
Chief steward Terry Bailey duly ordered the gear to be removed and Chase The Rainbow went to the start without it.
The dramas didn’t end there.
He also lost one of the concussion plates that he wasn’t supposed to be wearing on the way to the gates and another shoe during the race.
Despite all that Chase The Rainbow ($4.60) stuck his nose out on the line to beat Star Rolling ($5.50) by a short half-head with Pakal, the $2.05 favourite third.
“It’s no good getting old and silly,” said the 73-year-old trainer.
Chase The Rainbow has the Australian Cup at Flemington and the Doncaster Mile at Randwick as his major autumn targets.
