A horse named Big Arjay was the medium of a sensational plunge in the 3rd race at Cowra on Monday.
He was backed from $14 into $3.30, which is a decent go in any person’s language.
Big Arjay was beaten into 2nd place after being seemingly stuck on the fence behind the leaders with nowhere to go in the straight, and only getting out at the 50 metre mark and flashing when it was too late.
But was he really held up for a run?
Or did jockey Matthew Cahill hold him up?
Look at the side on replay at the top first.
The plunge horse is in the blue with black cap.
There looks to be a run there through the middle on the turn for an eager rider who wanted to take it, doesn’t there?
After that he looks a bit unlucky.
But looks can be deceiving.
Now take a look at the head on shot of the run down the home straight.
Are you seriously trying to tell me that there wasn’t a run available on the fence for a jockey of Matthew Cahill’s skill and experience if he wanted to chance his arm and poke through?
Seriously?
You could have put a bus up inside Winona Costin’s horse if you wanted to.
I don’t think M. Cahill wanted to.
He was riding a horse that had been backed off the map.
Yet Cahill showed no urgency or real desire at all.
In fact it seemed that he was riding the plunge horse dead.
As I said above, looks can be deceiving.
But when you see the action – or in this case inaction – head on they are not.
What you see is what you get.
This is what Cahill told the Stewards.
I wonder if he followed up by telling them the story of the boy who cried wolf too?
The stipes swallowed Cahill’s tall tale whole.
Of course they did.
It’s not in Queensland or Tullarook that things are crook.
Don’t you worry about that.
b