Polarisation wins again in re-run Sydney Cup

SYDNEY (AP) Visiting English trainer Charlie Appleby and his five-year-old gelding Polarisation claimed poetic justice on Saturday with victory in the Sydney Cup at Randwick racecourse, two weeks after ''winning'' the abandoned first running of one of Australia's biggest races.

The 3,200-meter (2-mile) Group 1 feature, worth 2 million Australian dollars ($1.5 million), was controversially called off midway on April 8 amid safety concerns, as an injured horse lay stricken on the track. With former European stallion Almoonqith immobilized just after the winning post, officials decided to abandon the race, with mounted officials attempting to relay the decision to jockeys around the 1,000-meter mark.

However, only half the jockeys heard the message and pulled their horses up. Another six carried on, with Polarisation finishing first and his jockey Corey Brown celebrating.

Brown later led criticism of the decision to abandon the race, saying the field could easily have dodged the fallen Almoonqith - which was later euthanized - and his attendants after passing the post.

But given another chance, Polarisation proved it was no fluke, winning by a neck under Brown again. Sydney galloper Who Shotthebarman, who dislodged his jockey Blake Shinn after interference from Almoonqith in the race two weeks ago, finished second under Shinn again.

Polarisation, raced by the Godolphin thoroughbred empire of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, earned 1.17 million Australian dollars ($880,000) for the win.