Make Way drama: Thunderstorm, close finish, protest - and we missed seeing everything!

“Reverse the draws and he would have bolted in.”

Anthony Butt’s assessment of Make Way’s runner-up placing at Leeton last night only tells half the story of a dramatic debut run in Australia.

For while Make Way’s New Zealand owners had frustrations of their own, with the meeting running late and then Trackside TV not showing his race because of a clash, it was more trying on Butt and training partner Sonya Smith.

For his part Make Way handled it all like a true professional, forced to sit outside the leader all the way on the tight 800 metre country New South Wales track, and still running the hot favourite Major Roll to a neck.

We missed all the post race action too as Make Way’s driver Chris Geary threw in a protest against the winner for taking his line halfway down the stretch.

Watch the video replay and you’ll see Geary drop in for cover for a few strides before the home turn as Make Way comes off the bit momentarily.

“But then he picked it up again, dug deep, and ranged alongside the other horse,” says Butt.

Make Way, outer, loses balance and momentum as driver Chris Geary is forced to yank forcibly on his right rein to drag him off Major Roll.“Chris said he thought he was going to go past him but then Major Roll came out on him and he had to check off it.

“I watched it head on and it looked quite bad but I couldn’t tell at the time how far behind he was.

“Moving out like that is an old trick which doesn’t often get picked up. After I saw the video I understood the stewards’ decision. It’s hard to win protests like that because even though it cost him momentum you’ve got to be able to prove you were going to beat the other horse.’’

Butt says he was thrilled with the way Make Way kept coming at the other horse regardless.

“He’s the perfect little racehorse. He handled the track well and was right there at the line.

“It’s hard on these little tracks when the favourite is leading and you’re sitting outside him.

“Reverse the draws and he would have bolted in.’’

Butt says while the A$15,300 Canberra Derby (2130m) on February 10 remains on the agenda he and Sonya will wait to see how the horse recovers from last night’s run.

“We’ll just wait a couple of days to see how he comes through it. The afternoon was hot as hell and it was still really hot at the races.

“Then when they were out on the track for the third race there was a massive thunderstorm, with lightning and torrential rain and the races were put back an hour. The meeting was in doubt for a while.

“So the horses went from sweating in the heat to being cold and wet.

“We’ll just be guided by how he is over the next few days as to whether we go to Canberra. But the derby heats (at Menangle on February 23) are the main aim.’’

Butt says you couldn’t have asked for more from Make Way in his pipe-opener. And his loyal owners weren’t complaining either - banking $2250 in stakes plus collecting on his surprisingly good $2.10 place price.

Stablemate Vasari was also game in defeat one race earlier.

The horse got back from his second row draw, looped the field to sit outside the leader for the last lap and fought on bravely for second.