SYDNEY - A week of unprecedented drama had a fitting climax when Rangirangdoo claimed the Doncaster Mile at Randwick, with high-class glamour mare Typhoon Tracy out of the picture.
Gai Waterhouse challenged a stewards' ruling that Nash Rawiller was committed to Rangirangdoo in an attempt to get him on her
runner, Theseo.
The NSW Supreme Court stuck with the stewards' decision and Rawiller showed why he is in such demand when he lifted Rangirangdoo ($6) over the line half a neck in front of Road To Rock ($26) with Brilliant Light ($15) another 1 lengths away third.
More drama followed the race when Damien Oliver weighed in overweight on the runner-up citing the horse's sweating as a cause, with the gear soaking wet.
For winning trainer Chris Waller the victory was sweet after Rangirangdoo's two recent second group one placings behind Theseo.
"I wasn't on the best angle to see the race and I thought it was going to happen again, that he was going to run second," he said. "I thought 'here we go again'.
"When you have three runners in a race like this you try to look at all of them but when you win it, it's so emotional."
One of the first people to congratulate Waller was Waterhouse who watched Darren Beadman ride Theseo into eighth place.
"People like Gai Waterhouse make me a better trainer," Waller said.
"And Racing NSW has been very professional throughout this week and it's a privilege to be training here."
Dominant and well-backed favourite Typhoon Tracy ($3.30) was travelling up on the pace rounding the turn but was one of the first horses beaten, eventually finishing 14th, 5 lengths from the winner.
A veterinary examination showed she had been galloped on and trainer Peter Moody also told stewards there had been a virus in his stable.
He had checked the mare's blood on Friday and it was fine but he said he planned further tests.
Waller's other runners Danleigh ($8.50) and Triple Honour ($31), winner of the 2008 Doncaster, finished fifth and seventh respectively.
Rawiller, who was called on to replace the injured Corey Brown on Rangirangdoo, said he respected Waller's decision to press to keep him on.
"All credit to Chris, he could have gone the other way and not pushed on," Rawiller said.
"As much as I wanted to be on Theseo, I've won a Doncaster.
"I was very confident I was on the right horse for the race.
"I got to the front a little bit before I would have liked but he attacked the line."
Road To Rock's trainer Anthony Cummings was as happy as he could be without winning the race as was Brilliant Light's handler Kerry Parker.
Brilliant Light has been the improver of the autumn and ran the race of his life with some of his owners getting 400-1 about him some weeks ago.
"He was posted four wide and it was a great run," Parker said.
"He's run super, he's a serious horse and has a big future."
- AAP
SYDNEY - A week of unprecedented drama had a fitting climax when Rangirangdoo claimed the Doncaster Mile at Randwick, with high-class glamour mare Typhoon Tracy out of the picture.
Gai Waterhouse challenged a stewards' ruling that Nash Rawiller was committed to Rangirangdoo in an attempt to get him on her
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