Eyes were fixated on Jason Collett riding Hope In Your Heart.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was a breathless moment when, as they balanced up into the straight, Surf Dancer shifts into the path of Oscar Zulu, who in turn bumps Riodini.
Riodini causes interference on Love Tap and suddenly Collett's job behind them was all the more difficult.
He steers sharply left, with just enough room to find clear air and rebuild Hope In Your Heart's momentum.
Did the inconvenience cost Kerry Parker a home town victory in the $1 million The Gong? Probably not.
Riodini was simply superb, three wide the trip and without cover, Tim Clark would not be denied.
As runner-up, Hope was all heart, as she was in the Golden Eagle when finishing fourth.
Unlike with Count De Rupee last year, the Illawarra fairytale was incomplete.
But this is The Gong, perfectly imperfect.
The new race anthem, Run To Paradise - in the spirit of The Everest's Sweet Caroline and the Golden Eagle's Eagle Rock - was lost on the crowd, impressively large in number after previous years of COVID restrictions.
Race vision was shown on the big screen in the build-up, leaving confused punters unsure if they'd missed the jump before the ceremonial banging of the gong, this time performed by Rob Price, who trained Count De Rupee to victory last year.
Rob and son Luke were successful on the day, when veteran Cuban Royale got the bob in to take out the Benchmark 78 (1200m) and they narrowly missed out on the Midway, named in Count De Rupee's honour after the horse died at trackwork this year, when Mr Rock It ran third.
The punters certainly found the Australian Bloodstock hot favourite Nugget in the consolation race to The Gong, the BM88 (1600m).
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Nugget was backed into $2.10 after bookies were offering more than $3 on Friday and Collett delivered emphatically, winning by more than two lengths.
But the day's big prize eluded Collett, as the challengers unsuccessfully chased Riodini, with Old Flame third and Wild Planet and Brutality also in pursuit.
"Her run was massive," Collett said.
"She was working wide in the run, she probably found the firm nature of the track not to her liking but a nice effort."
The stewards report summed it up as "at the entrance to the straight (Hope In Your Heart) shifted out abruptly to avoid the heels of Love Tap when that runner was checked".
Tommy Berry on Old Flame was another caught in the ruck on Hope In Your Heart's inside coming off the turn.
"He had his momentum taken away once he straightened but he rallied really strongly," he said.
Riodini hadn't entered the winner's stall in almost three years before Saturday, but it's a measure of how The Gong has become a genuine target race for trainers of Group 2 and 3 milers, far more than an after-thought at the end of the spring carnival.
The Gong is making a big noise in its own right.
The worst of the pandemic now surely behind us, it was clear the race day is now one of the marquee events in the region's calendar.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say.
Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Sign up for our breaking news emails
Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
