Hornblower wins PM's Cup in stewards' room

By Grant Stockwell

GOLD COAST, Qld, May 2 AAP - Glen Colless capped a remarkable comeback to riding when he rolled the dice in the stewards' room and walked away with victory in the Listed Prime Minister's Cup at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Colless finished second on gutsy gelding Mr Hornblower to an aggressive Craig Newitt ride on Rightfully Yours but decided to protest against the Victorian visitor, citing severe interference passing the 200m mark.

Colless immediately requested to view the stewards' film when he returned to scale and opted to lodge an objection arguing Newitt had forced Court Command, who was travelling between the pair, onto Mr Hornblower twice within a few strides.

"Might as well have a go," Colless said.

Stewards agreed with Colless and awarded the race to the consistent Mr Hornblower much to the disgust of Newitt who was cautioned by them when he went to walk out of the inquiry when chief steward Wade Birch handed his verdict down.

Colless was making his return to riding after he almost severed two toes on his left foot when a horse collapsed and died underneath him at Eagle Farm earlier this year.

"I had no doubt that my horse would have won the race had he not had the wind knocked out of him at a vital stage," Colless said.

"The margin was a head and there is no doubt the interference cost him more than that."

The amended result gave Mr Hornblower the win over Rightfully Yours with unlucky Sydney gelding El Cambio finishing strongly for third three-quarters of a length away.

It was third time lucky in the Prime Minister's Cup for Mr Hornblower and winning trainer Tracy Green.

The seven-year-old gelding finished third to The Jackal in 2007 and was unplaced off a wide gate to Helideck in 2008 and Green was fleetingly ruing her luck again as she waited for the stewards' verdict.

"That big head of his has cost me a fortune with all the seconds he has run," Green said.

Green said she would keep Mr Hornblower away from Eagle Farm during the winter and concentrate on the lesser sprints starting with the BTC Darley Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 16.

"He hates Eagle Farm and I'm a realist. He's not up to weight-for-age in the Doomben 10,000 so we'll head to the Darley, then the Eye Liner at Ipswich and then the Ramornie (at Grafton)," Green said.

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