Racing: False start undoes Howard Bromac

Kiwi hope Winforu has a favourable draw in a very strong heat tomorrow night. Picture / Derek Flynn

Furious trainer Kirk Larsen has hit out at the false start he says could cost Howard Bromac his place in the Interdominion final.

The Kiwi trainer and his stable star are facing a battle just to make the A$1.5 million ($1.7 million) final on April 2 after finishing third last in their opening round heat on Sunday.

But Larsen says rather than being disappointed with the Auckland Cup winner he is angry at a starting blunder which upset his chances on Sunday.

The first attempt at his mile heat was declared a false start because two of the horses, including fellow New Zealand pacer London Legend, missed the start.

But the new mobile gate being used for this series is not fitted with a loud speaker so Howard Bromac and Sokyola both began quickly before the calls of rival drivers alerted them to the false start.

Larsen believes that cost Howard Bromac vital energy and he was reluctant to ask him to leave the gate as quickly for the second start.

That meant rather than settling parked, from where he could control his own destiny, Larsen chose to take the one-one sit, from where he got checked when About To Rock started to stop on the home turn.

"That cost us a lot of momentum and at this level, with a short straight like this, you aren't going to make up any ground," said Larsen. "I still think he went all right but that false start really didn't help out cause."

Larsen says the first false start should not have been called.

"We were all there at the start and if some drivers miss the start that is there problem.

"I don't see why we should all be punished for it."

Larsen was going to raise matters with local authorities and he can expect a sympathetic hearing from chief steward Wayne Kirby.

Kirby admitted the incident was "unsatisfactory" and a disappointing way to start the series.

He explained the mobile gate had only arrived two days before the series and his starter had not had the chance to practise on it with horses.

The mobile gate operates under a computer-controlled program, meaning once the starter had put it in motion he could not slow down to wait for the stragglers - which caused the false start.

That will be of little comfort to Larsen as Howard Bromac, rated the best Kiwi chance of winning the title before the series began, now needs two placings in the last two rounds of heats to have any chance of making the final.

But Larsen has not given up hope. "I was pretty pissed off after the race but at least the horse didn't go bad.

"He was hardly blowing afterwards and his heart rate was good so the one positive we can take from the whole business is that he didn't have a hard race whereas some horses did on the first night.

"We know what we have to do and that means getting handy and taking bad luck out of play for the rest of the series."

That bad luck may already have found him though as Howard Bromac has drawn the outside of the front line in the strongest heat of the series at Launceston tomorrow night.

He is up against three of the first round heat winners Slipnslide, Blacks A Fake and Flashing Red - as well as other well favoured series contenders Foreal, Sting Lika Bee and Winforu.

The heat shapes as a stunner and one which could end the chances of Howard Bromac and fellow Kiwi Bobs Blue Boy unless they produce top performances.

The news is better for Alta Serena, who now shapes as New Zealand's best chance in the series, as she has drawn a weak heat, although she does start from the second line.

And Be Good Johnny will dominate betting on the last heat in which his greatest danger looks to be Sweet Fame.

 Unhappy

* Kiwi horseman Kirk Larsen is unhappy that a false start has cost Howard Bromac valuable points in the Interdominions.

* The one-time leading New Zealand chance in the series faces a huge task to make the A$1.5 million ($1.7 million) Grand Final.

* He has drawn the outside of the gate in an incredibly strong heat tomorrow night.

* Be Good Johnny has drawn the easiest heat and now looks the horse to beat in the series.