‘Savage’ Surgeon stitches up Cup

By Paul Pickering
CRANBOURNE master trainer Darren McDonald claimed his third Melbourne Cup last Thursday night, but the achievement was almost lost amid extraordinary scenes at Sandown Park.
McDonald’s dog, Surgeon ($6.20), mounted a remarkable comeback around the home turn to chase down Jason Thompson’s frontrunner Hanify’s Impact ($5.40), before turning viciously on the leader within 20 metres of the finishing post.
Surgeon went on to cross the line half a length clear of the shaken Hanify’s Impact, while Thompson’s other chance, Nitro Burst ($6.90), finished two lengths adrift in third.
The ugly incident left a bumper trackside crowd stunned and ensured that Australia’s richest-ever greyhound race would also be remembered as one of the most controversial.
Surgeon was slapped with a 28-day suspension for its first fighting offence, while Thompson later received an official warning for a heated post-race confrontation with McDonald and stewards behind the starting boxes.
The Pearcedale trainer questioned whether Surgeon should have been allowed to start in the final after it appeared to stop chasing the lure momentarily in its heat win the previous week.
Meanwhile, the unflappable McDonald could afford to be philosophical after claiming his second-straight Cup – following Shanlyn Prince’s win in 2007 – and his share of the $175,000 winner’s purse.
“This is the number-one race in Australia as far as I’m concerned and to win it two years in a row is something very special,” he said.
“Under the circumstances it mightn’t be ideal, but at the end of the day he was the first dog across the line, so he wins the race.”
But Thompson was adamant that Surgeon should have been withdrawn after its distracted heat run.
“In my opinion it pulled up the previous week and shouldn’t have been allowed to run,” he said.
“I think those responsible for it being there have to be held responsible for what happened.
“It was portrayed as the biggest race of the year in Australia and to have that happen really tarnished the race.”
Controversy aside, it was an undoubtedly brilliant run by the West Australian-bred two-year-old.
Surgeon began from box eight and copped a hefty bump from Queenslander Made To Size ($3 favourite) at the first bend before recovering to make up around six lengths in the last 200 metres.
“The dog has had so many injuries and a lot of trouble in his career, so to win the Melbourne Cup in his 18th start is an unbelievable effort,” McDonald said.
Surgeon’s owner, Mike Johnstone, made the trip over from Perth for the race.
Johnstone, who bred Surgeon out of Sydney Cup-winning bitch Bella’s Angel, said it was a thrill to have such a talented dog.
“When he was only a pup at 17 months, we trialled him at Cannington and he was only about 2.5 lengths outside the track record, so we knew he could run then,” he said.
Earlier in the night, Tasmanian stayer Fallen Zorro ($2.60 favourite) registered her third Group Two title in the Bold Trease Carnival Cup (715m).
The Shane Whitney-trained bitch settled into fourth position down the back straight before storming home to beat Princess Bale ($7.10) by 3.5 lengths, with Risk It ($7.80) finishing third a further half-length back. The other notable performance of the night came from Jason Thompson’s maligned sprint star El Galo that made an emphatic return to form in winning the Melbourne Cup Consolation event.
El Galo returned a positive swab after his victory in the Top Gun final at The Meadows last month.