WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR UNLUCKY WERTHER

A luckless Young Werther added another Group 1 placing to his CV when he surged home in the Champions Stakes to grab third at Flemington on Saturday behind Atishu. 

The dual Derby placegetter was presenting into the race nicely when Blake Shinn on Buckaroo took off early and proceeded to tighten the six-year-old gelding for room virtually the length of the Flemington straight. 

Shinn was suspended for careless riding, however that didn’t provide much solace for jockey Billy Egan and Young Werther’s connections. 

“That might have been the one that got away,” a dejected Egan told connections post race. 

“He ran super. He just didn’t have a lot of luck coming into and for the length of the straight and it was no fault of his own. He did an amazing job to rebound off the severe interference at the 150m and pick himself up and get to the line,” Egan said. 

“I have not doubt we run a clear second and test the winner if we were able to have clear running in the final 400m.”

Trainer Danny O’Brien was thrilled with the son of Tavistock’s effort and lamented the horse’s bad luck. 

“Billy had given the horse a perfect ride and to have interference from another horse and rider in such a big race that costs you your chance at challenging for the win is a hard pill to swallow,” O’Brien said. 

“I am very proud of the horse and we will look at running him over the 2000m again in the Ballarat Cup in around a month”

Pic by Racing Photos