Rasmussen Searching For Answers After Cup Bungle

Premier South Australian trainer Tony Rasmussen has been left with more questions than answers following the botched staging of the Sportsbet Broken Hill Cup (525m) on Sunday night.

Rasmussen, who made three consecutive 13-hour round trips to Broken Hill to contest the $10,000-to-the-winner series, was left flummoxed after a breach of the lure rules resulted in the abandonment of the flagship event.

While the race was won by the Rasmussen-trained John Dutton in narrow fashion over It's Smudgy, it was his tearaway leader Queen Of Scotch which appeared to have the race safely in her keeping before the lure got under her nose heading into the back straight, resulting in the event's abandonment.

"I've still got no answers as to what was said to have occurred," Rasmussen said.

"Walking back from the boxes I knew it was going to be a no race, it had to be. The bitch (Queen Of Scotch) was way out in front and then the next second the lure was under her nose which caused her to all but stop.

"You travel 13 hours back and forth three weeks in a row and something like that happens with seemingly no explanation.

"I'm not happy at all. It's just not good enough."

The GWIC Stewards' Report pertaining to the Broken Hill Cup abandonment stated; "Stewards deemed the lure was too close to the leading runner when entering the turn into the back straight and was too far from the entire field for the remainder of the event. 

"After consultations with the trainers that filled the first 4 placings, and reviewing all available footage, Stewards acting under the provisions of GAR109(3) and GAR110(1) deemed the event to be a No race."

The mishap was a bitter blow to the Broken Hill club for such a calamity to happen in their flagship event.

"I was pretty wild and got out of there quickly," Rasmussen said.

"From what I can see no reason has been disclosed for what occurred so I guess I'll just have to wear it. I haven't heard from anyone since either.

"You put in 40 hours of travel to support the event and you get radio silence.

“The whole episode is very disappointing."