Rich Tapestry’s failure in Breeders’ Cup reopens debate over anti-bleeding drug
Trainer's worst fears are realised when six-year-old - the hot favourite and only horse not be administered Lasix - finishes last and later found to have suffered severe bleeding
His worst fears realised, Michael Chang Chun-wai was left to offer a simple, but seemingly unnecessary "sorry" to owners after Rich Tapestry suffered a reoccurrence of bleeding problems and finished last as hot favourite in Saturday''s Group One Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park.
The disappointing result for Hong Kong's first Breeders' Cup runner reignited the debate surrounding controversial diuretic Lasix, but Jockey Club officials were adamant they had made the right decision in dissuading Chang from using the substance that has divided racing.
Jockey Club head of racing Bill Nader said: "We stand firm. We are a racing jurisdiction that doesn't believe in raceday medication and we believe strongly in that. We believe that other jurisdictions should take the same line. The horse was still able to win without Lasix first-up.
There was a lot of blood and dirt inside. He just couldn’t breathe
"Let's not take away from what Michael has achieved, it wasn't the horse's day, but Michael comes back with a lot to be proud of. I contacted him after the race and told him there's no need to apologise."
With a few hours to reflect on a month that began with the trainer saddling up Hong Kong's first Group One winner on US soil, and ending with having the jurisdiction's first runner at America's richest race meeting, Chang was able to call his horse's overseas odyssey "an amazing story with a sad ending".
"That is racing," he said. "Today was not our day, but we were able to win a Group One over here, I am proud of my staff."
Rich Tapestry went off 6-4 favourite in the 1,200m dirt scamper, but after the six-year-old's uncharacteristically slow start it was clear something was wrong.
After the leaders tore off at a lightning-quick pace, jockey Olivier Doleuze asked the gelding for the type of effort that had seen him triumph in the Santa Anita Sprint in early October, but the horse began giving ground quickly.