Punt Drunk: Vale Fields Of Omagh
What a big week it has been in racing and as always the boffins at Punt Drunk are here to go through some of the news to have impacted the racing world throughout the week.
The saddest news came late on Thursday when it was announced two-time Cox Plate winner Fields Of Omagh passed away.
Throw in some controversial news for one of Sky Racing’s most popular presenters, a caller’s nightmare in New Zealand and Jason Holder pulling off a remarkable victory.
Buckle up champions!
RIP Fields Of Omagh
Punt Drunk likes to look on the bright side of life, but we’ll start on a serious note this week, with one of our all-time favourites succumbing to father time.
Lovingly known as FOO, Fields Of Omagh the dual Cox Plate winner passed away on Thursday afternoon. He was 25.
Trained by David Hayes, FOO ran in five-consecutive Cox Plates, claiming the race in both 2003 and 2006.
Fields Of Omagh was a fighter! 💪
Watch both of his Cox Plate wins in 2003 & 2006 ⭐️
Vale FOO ❤️ pic.twitter.com/OV1a3XbbOH
— Racing.com (@Racing) June 8, 2023
Incredibly, he was the oldest horse to win a Cox Plate when he saluted the second time at nine years old.
He raced 45 times for 13 wins, amassing almost $6.5 million in prizemoney. Fields Of Omagh also represented Australia in major races in Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Fields Of Omagh sits comfortably as one of the greatest horses to have graced the turf on these shores and joins the likes of Winx, So You Think, Northerly, Sunline, Kingston Town and Tobin Bronze as dual Cox Plate victors.
Chyna Marston blacklisted??
Chyna Marston is one of the more popular race presenters for Sky Racing in the Riverina area of New South Wales, but Racing NSW has blacklisted her during the week!
Marston has been placed on the Racing NSW exclusion list due to animal welfare issues
She will not be permitted to be provided any retired thoroughbred that has been domiciled in NSW for a majority of their life or have such horse in her custody, care or control.
Marston was quick to take to Twitter to defend herself, blaming her inability to lodge paperwork behind the decision.
Watch this space…
New Plymouth caller has a mare
It isn’t very often that a race caller declares runners are still loading into the barriers with 800m left to go in a race…
That is exactly what happened in the fourth event out of New Plymouth Raceway in New Zealand racing on Thursday.
This one almost has to be seen to be believed.
Not only did he miss the first 400m of the race, he declared the winner Violetsrblue “the roughie” despite only paying $8.50 and jumping as fourth favourite.
Safe to say, that will not go down as old mates best call.
Stubby says hold my beer!
Jason ‘Stubby’ Holder could ride a winner on a broomstick at the moment and he proved that at Gawler on Wednesday afternoon.
The gun SA hoop was aboard Big Shaq for Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas with the pair careering away for a comfy win late on in the piece.
However, it was not as easy as the final 200m may suggest, with Holder lucky to stay atop the big fella upon straightening.
Big Shaq clearly was spooked by one thing or another and wanted to offload Stubby, but this wasn’t Stubby’s first rodeo as he regained his balanced and had Big Shaq streaking clear to bring up one of the more unlikely victories you will see in some time!
Oh yeah, helped that we were on him too.
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
