You got to be gutted for Zenyatta

One terrible ride from a show boating Jockey imo,the horse loses nothing in defeat...

Disappointed Hibs but you cant take anything away from her . Jockey is gutted . Still the champ though . Must say most amazing show tonight and hope Teletrack can pick up a few pointers .

Really heartbreaking stuff!

Race Replay

The way zenyatta runs she was always at risk of finding one too good if things went wrong, which they did in a big way.

Despite being ridiculously slow away mike smith needed to have her far closer coming into the straight. For me the killer move was trying to go up the inside in the straight where all the traffic was, he then had to dramatically switch her out and she only got into full stride in the final furlong.

Mike has admitted he effed up and was in tears after the race but maybe the pressure got to him and he panicked. She is still a champ but its a massive pity her unbeaten record had to go because of pilot errors.

A bitter pill to swallow but that's racing as they say. I would have won R25000 had she won so I'm pretty gutted as well! Luckily I took each way prices when she was 5-1 ante post.

Blame must be a top horse but I really believe had zenyatta run her race she would have won.

I managed to hook onto the espn coverage on the net so thankfully didn't have to watch the painfully boring attheraces shoestring budget coverage.

I assume the sa viewers got to watch the excellent espn production. The yanks sure know how to put on a show. I was watching with non racing fans and they were very impressed with the action.

It just goes to show if you have a quality package with the right marketing racing can attract viewers.

I hope the owners decide to keep her in training, she still seems to be at the top of her game...

A distraught Mike Smith burst into tears after the race. "It's my fault - she should have won," said the jockey, who certainly did not stint with his whip in the closing stages.

"I truly believe I was on the best horse today," he said. "If I had to blame anyone I would blame me. It hurts more than I can explain, just because it was my fault."

Specifically, Smith felt he had given the supermare too much to do, even by her own standards.

Racing on dirt for only the third time in her life, the six-year-old was at least six lengths adrift passing the wire for the first time, and fully 20 lengths off a disputed pace at halfway.

Just looking at the replay again and the look on the owners faces says it all.
I hope she will remain in training?

Dumb struck to see her so far behind the second last horse.
Amazed to see her in the pack and ducking out of traffic in the straight.
Couldn't believe what I was seeing when she motored with a chance to catch the leader.
Gutted to see her lose by a nose hair.
Whoa!

Before the start of the race she was playing around with her front legs which I thought could have been a little omenous. Does anyone know why a horse would do this?

They liked to call it her playing upto the crowds Mac,im not sure though,seemingly she has done it on her last 12 runs..

What about how hard Smith used the whip in the straight,disgusting!!!

Bad ride. But she is still the Champ.

"23 times he struck his mount, 23 times she responded, but Blame wasn't for catching."

It is easy to blame Mike Smith now. Zenyatta just does not want to go early. That was always her style.
So Smith had just three possibilities: Either go the very very wide way around all horses, the result would have been similar i think. Or just go through all the traffic. That would have been risky also and it seems to me, that this horse just like to have no one around to roll.

At least it is not so bad. We are all longing for perfection, but there is none. human tragedy.