Pre-race drama before 2YO race at Randwick

Saturday 22 November 2014, 3:11pm

A delay in getting all the horses to the barriers before the first race at Randwick has had a dramatic effect with three late scratchings and lucky escapes from injury.

Most of the field for the two-year-old Plate (1000m) was loaded while Brother Wind was still a long way from the gate.

As they waited, Not A Cherry and Aspen Star both became agitated and flipped over while the favourite Italy hurt her leg.

Tye Angland jumped off Aspen Star who landed on his back and smashed the tree in the jockey's saddle.

The colt's co-trainer James Cummings said Aspen Star had behaved perfectly in two barrier trials and passed on a message to stewards from his senior partner.

"They were waiting too long while the other horse was still down the chute," Cummings said.

"Bart wanted me to let you know that in Japan they are loaded odds and evens with a man per horse and wondered why we can't do it here."

Chief steward Ray Murrihy agreed Brother Wind should not have been where he was and said the matter had been taken up with the attendants.

Although Aspen Star seemed physically OK after the incident, stewards ruled he must go back to the barrier trials to ensure the experience had not affected him psychologically.

Not A Cherry, trained by Anthony Cummings, will also trial again while Italy will be vetted.

The pre-race drama took some of the gloss off the win of Aegean Sea who led all the way to give four-time Golden Slipper winning-trainer Clarry Conners his first juvenile winner of the season.

"She's my Slipper hope at the moment," Conners said.

Aegean Sea beat Denpurr by a half length with the pair the $3.80 equal favourites after Italy's withdrawal when he was at $2.40.

Sam Clipperton rode the winner and made it a race-to-race double aboard Godolphin's Terai ($4.20) in the 2400m Plate.

– AAP

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