Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Five-year-olds Haveyoumetted and Major Overs began from the widest barriers in the 2130m HTA Access Solutions Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but they overcame this significant disadvantage when they fought out an exciting finish.
Haveyoumetted, a $5.30 chance for trainer-reinsman Brett Smith, began from barrier No. 7 and enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position, with Major Overs ($6) from the No. 8 barrier and driven by Chris Lewis following Haveyoumetted until Smith sent his runner forward with a three-wide burst at the bell. This left Major Overs in a pocket.
Sidstrepo, a $17 chance and stablemate of Haveyoumetted, set the pace with veteran Master Leighton, the $4.40 favourite, in the breeze. Master Leighton got to the front with 400m to travel before Haveyoumetted surged into the lead 100m later and quickly opened up a gap on his rivals.
Eventually, Major Overs got into the clear and he finished with a resolute burst. Haveyoumetted drifted out over the final 50m, causing Lewis to take evasive action. Haveyoumetted went on to beat Major Overs by two metres, and Lewis lodged a protest, alleging interference in the home straight.
Lewis told the stewards that he was unable to maintain a clear run and had to take hold of Major Overs. “This cost me all my momentum, and I’d say Major Overs would have won by a neck without this happening,” he said.
Smith said that he was confident that Haveyoumetted would have won regardless of the gelding drifting out. After deliberations, the stewards dismissed the protest, saying: “We acknowledged that although Haveyoumetted shifted outwards, causing Major Overs to be carried outwards from the 50m and checked near the 25m, and considering the margin of 2m where the incident occurred and the manner in which both horses finished the race, we cannot be satisfied in such circumstances that Major Overs would have finished ahead of Haveyoumetted had the incident not occurred.”
Haveyoumetted, a former Victorian performer, has raced 15 times in WA for three wins and five placings to improve his record to 37 starts for six wins, 11 placings and $50,823.
Haveyoumetted is by former quality pacer Guaranteed and is the only foal out of D M Dilinger mare Whateveruwant, who raced nine times in Victoria for one placing.
Guaranteed had 46 starts in a distinguished career of 24 wins, twelve placings and $856,316 in prizemoney. He won 17 times in Victoria, six times in New South Wales and once in South Australia. He won four Group 1 events (the 2012 Vicbred Super Sires Series for two-year-old colts and geldings, the 2013 Super Sires Series final, the 2014 Chariots Of Fire and the 2015 South Australian Cup), five Group 2 events and four at Group 3 level.