| Australia's
most astute jumping trainer Jim Houlahan has remained upbeat despite one of his most
promising jumpers was destroyed after breaking down in a race named after the master
jumping preparer. Holy Grail, who was the well
fancied favourite in all markets, had hit the front at the top of the famous Flemington
straight and was going like the winner when he snapped his off side hind leg.
"I guess it's a bit of bad luck," a disappointed
Houlahan said while his six-year-old son of Zabeel stood helplessly about 250 metres from
the winning post.
"That's the way it happens," Houlahan added.
"I thought he was a pretty smart horse too."
Holy Grail's jockey Craig Durden said after the race the
gelding snapped his leg "about 50 yards from the last."
"It's obviously very disappointing," Durden said.
While Durden was easing the favourite out of the race to
the centre of the track, Built Him and City of Gold settled down for a battle in a
fighting finish.
Built Him, a member of the Michael Zampatti stable at
Geelong, was able to hold out the Musgrove trained rival to win by a short head. The early
leader Mystic Outlaw was a length away in third place.
The winner is bound to head to the steeples after a few
more runs over the hurdles in the near future.
"We would look at running in the Galleywood (Hurdle)
at Warrnambool, but if the track was too hard we would keep him and race at Caulfield
instead," Zampatti said.
"He would then head to the Moonee Valley Hurdle before
ultimately heading to the steeples," he added.
The winner was ridden by Martin Mills and is an
eight-year-old gelding by Nijinsky's Way out of the Ksar mare Harlequin Fair. |
