Ascot Group 1 Railway Stakes Drama

It was 30 minutes of high drama and fluctuating emotions at Ascot last Saturday after Glamour WA mare Belle Bizarre won the $750,000 Group 1 Railway Stakes.

Trainer Rod Bynder was the star of the show as he entered the mounting enclosure, waving his jacket in sheer excitement and lapping up the adulation of his home crowd. Rod's been one of Perth's battling trainers for over 20 years now and is one of the nicest blokes in racing, having first broke in a horse for me over 12 years ago. The fact that his mare had recently come back from a Spring campaign in Melbourne, had beaten one of the horses from the powerful Hayes stable in a photo finish (pictured above), and had just won the Group 1 Railway, had Rod's beaming smile lighting up Ascot racecourse!

The emotion of the moment changed dramatically however as we all watched Rod run from the presentation after a Perth Racing official whispered in his ear. News had broke that his father Ken had just suffered a heart attack whilst making his way down from the upper level of the grandstand. Ken was in a bad way and part of the crowd watched, (as people do) as medical staff worked frantically to revive Ken. His heart stopped an incredible 31 times and as luck would have it, he survived and was taken to hospital and is now due to have a coronary bypass operation after surviving what would normally have taken the life of most people.

It sure was a day he'll never forget. With Dad being well looked after in hospital, it was business as usual back at the stables on Monday morning. Rod is taking delivery of our Akhenaton-Foxy Tudor 2yo gelding this week as he finishes off the breaking in process at Ascot. He'll familiarise the horse with trackwork, put him through the barriers, and make sure that he's a tractable and safe horse to ride before handing him back in a week or so when the horse will be sent for a short spell.
- Peter Morley