Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Trainer Kevin Keys and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko had some anxious moments at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Blitzembye, a $12.40 chance, gained the verdict by a half-head in a desperately close photo finish to the 1730m Beau Rivage For Xmas in July Pace and then survived a protest.
Blitzembye began speedily from barrier seven but was unable to get to an early lead from the polemarker and $2.90 second fancy Moonlite Drive, who was overtaken by the $1.95 favourite Floewriter 250m after the start.
This left Blitzembye in the breeze, and he and Moonlite Drive finished with admirable determination to cross the line locked together. Reinsman Gary Hall then lodged a protest, alleging interference from Blitzembye entering the home straight and in the final stages.
Hall contended that interference Moonlite Drive had received cost the gelding at least a neck to a half-length, while Suvaljko maintained that he had maintained a straight line with Blitzembye all the way up the home straight.
The stewards dismissed the protest, saying that Blitzembye had not inconvenienced Moonlite Drive soon after entering the straight, and then that Moonlite Drive had hung inwards slightly near the 50m when both runners locked wheels for a short distance.
This was a welcome change of luck for Blitzembye, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old who ended a losing sequence of eight and took his record to 40 starts for 14 wins, nine placings and $139,676