In a stunning and dramatic turn of events at Ellerslie Racecourse in New Zealand, the heavily favoured mare Alabama Lass crashed through a running rail with only 100 metres remaining in the Group Three Haunhi Farm King's Plate. The incident occurred just as the horse appeared poised for a certain victory, leaving jockey Sam Collett dislodged and the race wide open for Sweynesday to claim an unexpected win.
A Sudden and Unexpected Turn of Events
Alabama Lass, who has amassed career earnings of $1,010,729, was leading the field when jockey Sam Collett administered a light tap with the whip. The mare reacted immediately, flashing her tail before ducking sharply to her right in an apparent attempt to jump off the course entirely. This sudden movement gave Collett no chance of maintaining his position, sending both horse and rider into the rail in a chaotic scene that stunned spectators.
Trainer's Mixed Emotions After Dramatic Victory
Roger James, who trains Sweynesday alongside Robert Wellwood, expressed mixed emotions about the victory. "It's not the way you want to win a race," James confessed via Racing News. "I was standing next to one of the owners of Alabama Lass, who I know very well from my show jumping days with Ken and Bev Kelso many years ago. I feel for them, but we will take the win."
James went on to praise his own horse's performance under challenging circumstances. "He is a very good horse and wasn't that well weighted today as he was giving weight to Alabama Lass, while he also started from the outside barrier," the trainer explained, highlighting the additional obstacles Sweynesday had overcome even before the dramatic incident.
Competitors Acknowledge Alabama Lass's Superiority
Masa Hashizume, Sweynesday's partner, readily acknowledged that Alabama Lass would have likely secured victory under normal circumstances. "We were travelling well outside the favourite, and he was coming after her, but he had the luck today," Hashizume stated, confirming that the race outcome had been dramatically altered by the last-minute incident.
Miraculous Escape from Injury
Remarkably, both Alabama Lass and jockey Sam Collett emerged from the dramatic incident completely unscathed. The incident occurred on a particularly eventful Champions Day card that also featured protests in both the $4 million NZB Kiwi and the $1.25 million New Zealand Derby races, though both Well Written and Road To Paris managed to hold onto their victories after enquiries.
Matt Cartwright, jockey for Well Written, commented on his own mount's performance after surviving a protest. "Probably with the weight (58kg) and being in front for so long, she wandered a bit, but she got the job done still," Cartwright explained. "She is a very good horse and you didn't see her best today."
The dramatic events at Ellerslie Racecourse serve as a stark reminder of horse racing's inherent unpredictability, where even the most certain victories can be snatched away in the final moments through unexpected circumstances.
