Shunt at crucial time hinders Invador but brave placing earns tilt at Sydney Cup

Platinum Invador is likely to be set on a Sydney Cup campaign after his brave run for a close third in today’s Auckland Cup when he had to overcome severe buffeting in the running.

Platinum Invador came back to scale missing his off hind plate and with skin off his off foreleg after being shunted out by Sound 800 metres from home.

The siren sounded after the race as rider Leith Innes and owners Neville McAlister and John Street viewed video of the incident, prompted by the fact Sound pipped Platinum Invador a head for the $87,500 runners-up purse.

But while Innes believed Platinum Invador was affected by the heavy contact, and being laid on for the next 300 metres, he advised not to proceed with a protest.

Leith Innes explains what happened to Platinum Invador on dismounting.The bump did not appear on the film to be as bad as it actually was and Innes believed they would not win a protest as Sound’s movement was also triggered by The Good Fight moving out inside him. It also happened a long way from home.

“I was enjoying a beautiful run before that, everything was going to plan, but then that horse came out on me and annoyed me for 300 metres.”

The shunt saw Platinum Invador forced to make his run from the 800 metres first four then five wide on the turn.

And while he all but ranged alongside leader Roger That soon after straightening, Innes’ belief the leader would come back to him never eventuated and when Platinum Invador’s run came to an end 200 metres out, and he started laying in, he lost second to Sound close to home.

“He’s gone super,” said Innes. “You have to remember he’s only a four-year-old and it was a very hard run two miles.”

Roger That’s winning time of 3:19.96 was the fastest Auckland Cup since 2011 when Titch ran 3:17.02 and in the last 24 years the only other winner to go faster was Zavite the previous year in 3:18.96.

While the performance continued a run of frustrating Auckland Cup placings for trainer Lisa Latta, it nevertheless gave the camp plenty of confidence for the future.

Platinum Invador returns to scale after his brave placing.Immediately after the race McAlister outlined two Australian options over 3200 metres for the horse, either the A$2 million Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 11 or the A$400,000 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on June 6.

Both McAlister and Street favour the Sydney option as it means Latta will have plenty of time to spell the horse afterwards and prepare him for a possible tilt at the A$7.3 million Melbourne Cup on November 3.

“The Melbourne Cup has been the goal from the day I first bought him as a yearling,” said McAlister.

Platinum Invador was 39th on the qualifying order for the Sydney Cup before today’s race and McAlister said if he made the cut-off the horse would get in with just 51kg.

With Innes unable to make that light a weight, McAlister said he’d be keen to try to secure top Australian Craig Williams.

“I’d like to see him ridden for luck, right back in the field, and flying home.”

The $42,500 Platinum Invador won today saw his career earnings boosted to $329,885 from just 20 starts.