For Gael Sanders, it was the sweetest phone call she's made in a lifetime of racing.
After chain-smoking her way through a nerve-wracking protest deliberation, Sanders, wife of Te Awamutu co-trainer Graeme and mother of training partner Mark, found a quiet spot to call 65-year-old Ohaupo dairy farmerJoe Wallis with the news.
His hobby horse, Prize Lady, which he'd paid a personal record of "$11,000 or $12,000" as a yearling, survived an agonising 40-minute inquiry for alleged home-straight interference to win her second straight Auckland Cup at Ellerslie yesterday.
"Joe couldn't be here today but he was watching the race on television and was over the moon when he heard the inquiry had been dismissed, said Sanders. "This is a dream result for everyone. Last year was supposed to be Prize Lady's last with her soundness problems.
"But she pulled up so well we thought we'd have another go with her."
Sanders was also thrilled for son-in-law and Prize Lady's rider Mark Sweeney, who had been battling a flat spell of form recently since a comeback from a nightmare fall that shattered his leg, leaving his career in the balance.
A sidelined Sweeney missed the cup ride last year on Prize Lady when his then pregnant wife Debbie trained the six-year-old mare in partnership with Graeme. Just days from the birth of her first child, Debbie watched the race from her Te Awamutu couch.
But she was on course yesterday, this time six months pregnant, as the Sanders clan celebrated a fairytale result in the $700,000 feature.
"Graeme said that if he won this race again with this mare it would be his best result in racing - it's just a dream result for everyone," added Gael Sanders.
Leading apprentice Sam Spratt, who rode gallant runner-up Gallions Reach, again had to swallow a big-race judicial call going against her.
She copped a careless riding charge - she's sidelined until the end of the month - and a $4000 fine for her second placing on Prince Kaapstad in the Mercedes Derby last Saturday.
For a few moments yesterday, however, it looked like her carnival luck might change with a promotion to first. While third-placed Resolution protested against both Prize Lady and her mount Gallions Reach, Spratt was adamant she wasn't at fault for the bump in question 200m out.
