News

Broken picks up pieces in sprint

27th Aug 2012

Sydney Morning Herald - Michael Lynch - Sunday, 26 August 2012

Darren Weir's consistent sprinter Broken ($18,000 2007 GS Weanling, 6g Halo Homewrecker-Induct) was the big beneficiary of the waywardness of Canberra-trained raider Unanimously at Moonee Valley yesterday, proving that sometimes, on the turf at least, you can get something you haven't actually earned.

The six-year-old gelding (pictured inside in green blinkers), second home in a typically tight Valley sprint finish, was awarded the Carlyon Stakes after first-past-the-post Unanimously was disqualified and placed third following a protest on behalf of the third horse, Umgeton.

Umgeton, a $21 chance, had cut out most of the running under Craig Newitt before the Steven Arnold-ridden Unanimously, the $5 second pick, headed the country-trained mare in the drive to the line. But Unanimously veered off a true course, driving Umgeton wide as he drifted across the track. In so doing he denied Brendan Hearps's mare her chance to win, but also opened the door for a rails run by the Nick Hall-partnered Broken.

The latter dived through on the inside, with the photo finish showing Unanimously had narrowly prevailed over Broken, with Umgeton third.

The subsequent protest hearing seemed cut and dried, and so it proved, with stewards determining the margin by which Umgeton had been beaten (a short half head and a half neck) was less than the margin by which she had been disadvantaged by Unanimously's drift.

Unanimously, from the ACT stable of Matthew Dale, was placed behind the horse against which he had transgressed. But under the rules of racing Umgeton could not be elevated to first place as she had finished behind Broken.

Punters were aggrieved as Unanimously was well supported while Broken had drifted in the betting from an opening quote of $11 to $14. NSW-trained sprinter Atomic Force ($4) was in fourth place.

With Black Caviar and Hay List absent and Ortensia carrying all before her in Europe (including a group 1 win at York in the Nunthorpe Stakes) there will be plenty of opportunities for second-level sprinters to step into the spotlight this spring.

Broken was purchased by his trainer Darren Weir for just $18,000 at Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale in 2007 from the draft of Lindsay Park Stud. The six-year-old gelding has recorded seven wins and 11 placings from 26 starts and $349,895 in prizemoney, a great result for his big group of owners; A Bates, A McCarty, Sumday Synd, Broken Down Synd (Mgr: G Swann), D Candy, M Atchison, M Hunter, Nullawilian Synd (Mgr: S Brown) & G Leech.