There will have to be questions asked and answered after race two at Flemington on Cup day.
JOVIALITY (I Am Invincible-Limbo Down) the easing favourite in the Listed Desirable Stakes over 1400m was given absolutely no chance of winning the race from the home turn onwards.
James McDonald, who drew the outside gate on her, eased her back to the rear to get on the fence.
That was good work.
The bad work was that he kept staying on the rails behind a pack of horses and hoped, prayed for gaps, in vain as it turns out.
It was a profoundly low percentage play indeed and as it turned out, and no gaps appeared at any stage and she went to the post under restraint, three lengths off the winner, NO RESTRICTION, cantering.
She would have won by two lengths.
Punters who backed her were livid and they took to twitter to air the frustration.
Declan Bates, an Irishman, rode the winner No Restriction (Unencumbered-Zumbarina) came home hard to win impressively.
“Just so nice to get a winner on such a big day,” he said. “She came out well and I just let her find her spot and she travelled beautifully.
“When I gave her, her head, she just really came home hard and did the job well.”
It was the 2nd win for this filly from just her fifth race start, but more importantly, was her first bit of Black Type.
Archie Alexander trains this filly and his wife part-owns her.
I’m sure we will here more of the Jay Mac ride on Joviality who didn’t even run a place as she jog-trotted across the line back in mid pack.
PRIDE OF JENNI, who led held on for 2nd while RIPPER RITA who followed her in 2nd spot all the way, hung tough for 3rd.
But watch the replay and see the Joviality disaster.
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