![One-two: Tye Angland (right) boots Scissor Kick home ahead of stablemate Panzer Division in the Up and Coming Stakes. Photo: Anthony Johnson/Getty Images One-two: Tye Angland (right) boots Scissor Kick home ahead of stablemate Panzer Division in the Up and Coming Stakes. Photo: Anthony Johnson/Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/a2ebb7fa-dd68-48d4-849e-fc1f216c617b.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
All Paul Messara could say after his runners Scissor Kick and Panzer Division finished first and second in the Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick was "sometimes you need a bit of luck in racing and we got it and some others didn't".
The photo to separate the Arrowfield colts took five minutes to come through. Scissor Kick won by a nose in an encore to mayhem in the race as Liberation threw away victory, ducking out twice in the straight.
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There were three protests against Liberation, which ran third after he had got to $1.71 on Betfair. He was cruising in front at the top of the straight but was almost uncontrollable as he ducked out at 300m and again at the 100m.
While the protests were being heard, Kathy O'Hara, who rode Panzer Division, was looking at the photo.
"I can't see a margin but obviously they can," she said.
Liberation played a big role in deciding the race as he cleaned up the horses to his outside. At the 300m he cannoned into stablemate Valentia, which went out on to favourite Better Land, which in turn bumped off Meursault. Tim Clark was able to straighten Liberation before he ran out again at the 100m.
"I just had no control of him, at one point I thought he was going to do a u-turn into the mounting yard," said Clark, who defended protests by sixth against fifth and fourth against third.
It was a tale of woe for runners outside Liberation, which was beaten on protest at his last start when he had done a similar thing. The protest of fourth placed Valentia, which managed to get back to the inside of his wayward stablemate and Better Land, which was fifth, were upheld, while Meursault, which was beaten more than two lengths by Liberation, was dismissed.
The first five places went to Scissor Kick from Panzer Division, Valentia, Better Land and Liberation.
It leaves Better Land struggling to get into the Golden Rose and trainer Peter Moody already counting the numbers for the 1400m group 1 at Rosehill on September 13.
"He doesn't have enough money to get into the race now and really that has left us with some decisions to make about where next," Moody said.
"He was going that well I thought he was going to win by a couple of lengths and Glyn [Schofield] thought the same thing. He was about to let down and got smashed.
"He picked himself back up and was about to go again and [Liberation] got him again. He was never tested to the line. We know we have a very good horse but we might not be able to get to the race we want now."
Schofield described Better Land was "the meat in the sandwich" in the first incident. "I just got corkscrewed and then he got going again somehow and [Liberation] run out again. He should have won," he said.
Kerrin McEvoy, who was on Meursault to the outside of Better Land, admitted in the closing stages he was more concerned about the outside fence.
"At one point I thought we were heading for it," McEvoy said. "He went super and should of at least run a place."
Meursault trainer John O'Shea questioned if Liberation should have had to trial after his last run.
"He lost a race on protest for doing same thing but I don't think anyone expected to see him do that and didn't help us," O'Shea said
Gai Waterhouse said Liberation would be sent for a spell with the suggestion to owners to geld him but she was happy with Valentia.
"Valentia was changing legs and was just about to make his run when he was checked but he went very well," Waterhouse said.
Meanwhile, Messara, who had convinced his father John on race morning to let Scissor Kick run, had a long wait for the photo.
"The perfect result for us would have been a dead heat, so they both got the group 3 win," Messara said. "We sat down this morning and dad wanted to scratch [Scissor Kick] but we decided he needed to run and it was the right decision.
"They are two outstanding colts but we have always thought Scissor Kick was the sharper of the two. Panzer Division was going to be aimed at the Spring Champion Stakes but after that I would think the Golden Rose could be the next run for both of them."
Tye Angland said he didn't know if Scissor Kick's late lunge had been enough.
"I thought I was going to run fourth because he didn't handle the conditions at all but he kept coming," Angland said.
Messara quickly asked Angland if he was available for the Golden Rose in three weeks. "Yes, but I might want to ride the other one, didn't he go well," the jockey replied. "But I wouldn't swap my fellow for anything after that."