Trainer Stuart Kendrick was happy to accept half-a-win when Inside Passage dead-heated for first at Doomben.
“Initially, I thought we might have got done and then I saw the slow motion and your (the post-race interviewer’s) comments and thought this could be interesting,” Kendrick said after the Maiden Plate (1640m) on Wednesday (March 4).
“It was a good run from him,” he said.
“It’s one of those things – it’s half a win, half excited.”
Inside Passage ($3.70), trained by Kendrick and ridden by Ben Thompson, powered home out wide to grab Tulong ($3.20 fav) right on the post, with the pair locked together and the judge unable to separate them.
Thompson produced Inside Passage at the right moment, peeling into clear air and mowing down the leader on the post.
“He did a good job. He’s only going to get better the more he does,” Kendrick said.
“He just took his time to hit his straps, but that last furlong was pretty impressive.”