Mudgee trainer Cameron Crockett has fallen agonisingly short of scoring a place in the Country Championships Final for the second time in five weeks.
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Crockett’s Ori On Fire seemed set to earn a ticket to the $500,000 final when he trailed runaway leader Don’t Give A Damn down the straight in Sunday’s $50,000 Country Championships Wild Card.
But My Tagoson flashed home on the outside and in a three-way photo for second spot, Crockett’s hope was knocked back to fourth place.
Crockett and Ori On Fire ended up at Muswellbrook after finishing third in the Central Districts Qualifier at Mudgee on february 25, a race that was run in horrendous conditions.
While it was heartbreak for Crockett, it was a tale of redemption for Don’t Give A Damn and Danny Williams.
Don’t Give A Damn ($1.85) controlled the race on Sunday, getting to the lead early with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, controlling the pace into the straight, and then moving clear towards victory.
Ori On Fire ($8.50) jostled with Gitan ($10) for third spot behind Don’t Give A Damn and Mr Pumblechook ($20) before moving into second spot. He held that position along the rail until the final stride, as Vega De Lago ($101) surged through the middle while My Tagoson ($31) flashed home on the outside to ultimately pinch the final ticket to Randwick.
Fellow Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith endured a frustrating race with the highly-regarded Most Exalted settling for ninth spot. While David Smith’s Stilettoed Vixen ($61) finished 11th.
