Certain Victory Turns to Stunning Defeat at Otaki
In a heart-stopping finish that will be talked about for years, the heavily backed favourite Road To Paris suffered a catastrophic loss in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes at Otaki in New Zealand on Sunday. The gelding seemed to have the race won until a sudden, sharp veer to the right just 50 metres from the winning post threw jockey Masa Hashizume from his mount, snatching defeat from the jaws of certain victory.
Chaos in the Final Strides
The dramatic incident unfolded in the shadow of the finish line. Road To Paris was clearly in front and cruising to what appeared an easy win when he abruptly changed direction. This forced jockey Masa Hashizume to make a desperate leap from the horse to avoid serious injury.
Incredibly, Hashizume escaped being trampled as the rest of the field thundered past him. The gelding Ammirati, who was running second, was nearly stopped in his tracks by the wayward Road To Paris but managed to navigate the chaos and emerge as the surprise winner.
The photo finish confirmed that Ammirati just held on for victory ahead of a fast-finishing Tulsa King and Landman. Stewards later dismissed a protest lodged by connections of Tulsa King, though they issued a formal warning to Road To Paris for his poor racing manners.
Lucky Escape and Unusual Victory
Miraculously, both Masa Hashizume and Road To Paris were unhurt following the frightening incident. The racing community breathed a collective sigh of relief after seeing the jockey walk away from such a dangerous situation.
Dylan Johnson, bloodstock manager and stable representative for winning trainer Stephen Marsh, acknowledged the bizarre circumstances of their victory. "It's a funny old game," Johnson said. "It's an unusual way to win the race, but it'll go in the book."
He praised Ammirati's perseverance, noting the horse was "under a bit of pressure from the 600m, but he just kept finding" before the extraordinary events unfolded ahead of him.
