Tears reality check for Championships

A visibly upset Winona Costin gives injured filly I Am Snippety a hug in distressing circumstances. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: Simon Bullard / Supplied

STANDING in the middle of a Randwick bog, a tearful Winona Costin reached up to give I Am Snippety one final hug before the filly was humanely destroyed.

If you ever wanted proof The Championships wasn't going to be all about the glitz and glamour, you only had to watch the emotional scenes unfold after the Group 3 Widden Kindergarten (1100m).

I Am Snippety and apprentice Costin led the field for home before the youngster pulled up quickly and appeared to break down.

It was later revealed I Am Snippety, a last-start winner of the time-honoured Wellington Boot, had fractured her off-front leg.

As the James and Bart Cummings-trained Hallowed Crown went on to victory, Costin and two clerks of the course awaited for the vets to arrive.

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Costin had tears in her eyes when she returned, and the stewards thought it best not to ask her to relive the miserable moment.

Costin choked up when At The Track asked her about one of her favourite horses later in the day.

"I have a soft spot for her, she's been very good for me, she tries hard and was a lovely little filly,'' Costin said, the apprentice currently on loan to Gai Waterhouse.

"I thought she'd run a really nice race today, and the way she travelled into the corner was unbelievable, but ... that's part of racing.''

Costin said she had plenty of favourite horses, but I Am Snippety was "in my top five, for sure''.

ATC officials attend to the ill-fated I Am Snippety after she fractured her off-front leg in the home straight in first race. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: Supplied

Gai's afternoon doesn't have a lot to Offer

VICTORY by The Offer ended what was becoming a worrying dry spell for Gai Waterhouse.

After preparing just one winner from 37 starters during the three-week Rosehill carnival, Waterhouse's start to the day at HQ yesterday was just as forgettable.

Jockeys Tommy Berry and Nash Rawiller were both hauled in to explain the flops of Echo Gal and Equator in the first two races, with the pair beaten a staggering 69.2 lengths and 11.3 lengths respectively.

Chief steward Ray Murrihy ordered Echo Gal — a one-time Magic Millions Classic favourite — back to the trials.

"I didn't think she'd come to a halt that quickly,'' Berry said of Echo Gal, while Rawiller said of Equator: "He was entitled to let down a lot better.''

Star loses shine in the rain

ZOUSTAR was scratched from the T.J. Smith Stakes because of the wet — and now there's every chance the $20 million colt won't race in Sydney again.

The two options awaiting Zoustar is the Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) against the three-year-olds, or the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) in a fortnight.

But given the crummy weather, trainer Chris Waller is now weighing up whether to head straight to England and possibly give Zoustar a lead-up race before Royal Ascot.

It will be up to the owners.

One horse who is unlikely to travel across the globe with Zoustar is Red Tracer, the glamour mare who was being aimed at a French race.

Meanwhile, Boban had a ''solid workout over 1000m'' at Rosehill yesterday after being scratched from the Doncaster, and appears on track for next weekend's Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Casino cash aimed at Nathan Berry Fund

GLYN Schofield was pinged $300 for failing to make the weight on Casino Dancer, then immediately asked for the money to be donated to the Nathan Berry Fund, which has been established to raise funds for research into Norse syndrome, which claimed the life of young Nathan — and Schofield's son-in-law — last Thursday week.

Casino Dancer was eventually ridden by Glyn's son Chad, with the horse crunched from $81 into $26 before she finished second.

Trainer Mike Van Gestel, who only has the one horse in work, admitted he had a nibble at the $130 on offer at the start of the day, but didn't know anything about the on-track plunge.

Van Gestel, who speaks with a thick Belgian accent, is giving thought to backing up Casino Dancer in next Saturday's ATC Oaks.

Some things never change

IT DIDN'T take long for Corey Brown to be reminded about Sydney's famous traffic. The Singapore-based hoop missed the opening race on Kaepernick because of the crawl getting from the airport to Randwick.

Wet day out on the nose

NOT ONLY did the hoops have to put up with one of the wettest Randwick decks presented in years, they were again forced to live with a shocking stench in the jockeys' room. A troublesome pipe in the laundry has made life unpleasant for the little fellas at HQ for months.

$3 can clears path for stairway to heaven

THE $150 million grandstand at Randwick had a few issues when the escalator on the ground floor kept stalling throughout the day. We're told a $3 can of WD40 didn't do the trick.

Peter Moody is not a happy camper. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

Moody blues reverberate out of the south

PETER Moody had a Group 1 blow-up this week over Key-Gate, which involved the stewards in bleak city demanding the keys to all stables at Caulfield and Flemington.

Moody labelled his fellow trainers ``spineless'' for agreeing to hand over the keys so quickly, but was more filthy with the lack of action taken by the Australian Trainers' Association.

That might explain why we're now hearing talk of a breakaway group from the ATA.

We asked ATA boss John Alducci about it, only for him to say he'd monitor any developments.

You only have to go back to 2008 when the Sydney boys went it alone formed the NSW Trainers' Association, which is now one of the best-run and respected groups in the industry.

For what it's worth, NSW stipes have the pin codes for stables, but won't enter any area if it's not staffed.

Hats off to the helmet-cam

CHANNEL 7 provided some cool footage of the racing action yesterday courtesy of helmet-cam.

Injured hoop Peter Robl was seen before each race handing over the pocket-sized device. It turns out the jocks have to sign a waiver, which prevents them from calling on the footage during a protest.

It would have been fascinating viewing when the camera was fixed to Blake Shinn's helmet as he knuckled down on Hooked and tried to hold out ATC Australian Derby winner Criterion.

Emerald City Classics? No thanks

YOU KNOW The Championships weren't always going to be called The Championships. The Emerald City Classics was one suggestion. Yuck. Or how about the Sydney Grand Prix? Zzzzzz.

I'll have some Moore of those boxes

MACAU'S leading trainer Gary Moore has popped up on the Australian Turf Club's radars to take out some boxes.

The vacated stables at Tim Martin has led to no shortage of requests from trainers, including Moore, who is in the hunt for ''25 to 30 boxes''.

Moore is also said to be sweet with a move back to Randwick, or Warwick Farm.

Former T.J. Smith winner Takeover Target with his owner Joe Janiak and dancer Clare Cavele. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia

Joe delivers magic line and receives one better

WE LOVED seeing Takeover Target and trainer Joe Janiak at the Young Professionals in Racing luncheon on Friday, which helped promote interest in The Championships.

Janiak, who travelled the globe with his bargain-buy gelding, told the story how he stood next to Her Majesty at Royal Ascot, and overheard her watching a TV screen, and muttering how the barrier staff should load a horse.

"You should be a trainer,'' Janiak said to Queen Elizabeth, only for her to reply: "Maybe I should, but I'm not giving up my day job.''

Comedy routine hits the mark
ALSO at the YPR luncheon was comedian Vince Sorrenti, who came up with this belter about our favourite state, Queensland.

"Queensland have won the Origin series eight years in a row. The only other thing they do eight years in a row is ... kindergarten,'' Sorrenti said.

Billionaire big on cancer research

US BILLIONAIRE B. Wayne Hughes attended his first-ever Easter Sales durig the week and bought three yearlings for Team Hawkes.

But what you won't know about the 80-year-old self-storage king is he pumps millions of dollars into cancer research each year.

Hughes told us he had recruited the best scientists across the US to concentrate on ALL, or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Thommo stuck in the nervous nineties

ROBERT Thompson had a quiet week with zero winners to remain on 3992 career winners. Maybe Thommo is waiting to fire up after The Championships so he gets the proper kudos.

Waller's wads of cash a Mile high

CHRIS Waller collected a cool $285,000 when four of his horses were first across the line in the Doncaster.

Trainers pick up 10 per cent of the winner's cheque, which worked out to be $28,500 a second during the race. This column lost $20 during that same period.

Froggy, you are a star. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Froggy cannot stop thanking connections

IF EVER there was a bloke deserved a Group 1, it was Craig Newitt.

The bloke gave up his Doncaster ride on Weary at the start of the week for Tommy Berry, whose late brother Nathan had a close association with the horse's owners.

Froggy then came out and won the TJ Smith Stakes on Lankan Rupee. He thanked the owners of Lankan Rupee for sticking with him after he opted to ride stablemate Samaready last start in the Newmarket.

"There isn't a lot of loyalty left in the racing industry, but for the owners to put me back on, I can't thank them enough,'' Newitt said.

"If ever there was going to be racing karma, it was today.''

Blake, just add three zeroes to that one finger. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: Supplied

Shinn brings up 1000th career win

BLAKE Shinn was given a rock star reception when he brought up his 1000th career winner late in the day.

Shinn kicked home Arabian Gold in the Adrian Knox Stakes, then posed for a few souped-up punters in the members, and gave the thumbs up to countless other punters who were clearly feeling the love.

It's a remarkable effort for a bloke who is just 26.

Final leg ruins extraordinary windfall

WHICH baby-faced media bloke who loves a punt lost out on the final leg of a multi, which would have turned $10 into $20,600?

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