Picture: Hold My Hand went down to the start straighter than she came back (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Things did not pan out quite as expected for Glen Kotzen at the IOS meeting on  Saturday, but his admiration for his star colt Cousin Casey has not changed.

He said, “It was a slow run race and he ran on nicely. He maybe went past those on his inside too quickly in the straight because they came back at him. It was a stepping stone race and he will be better for the run.”

The Vercingetorix colt has come out of the race well.

Kotzen had wanted Cousin Casey to be in front of the favourite Charles Dickens but his charge had ended up behind him after jumping slightly to the left and then being restrained.

He had just endured frustration in the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas when wanting Hold My Hand to go handy in a race that lacked pace and knowing she was sharper than she had been in the Cape Summer.

However, she was instead dropped out to second last and had to come around them wide into the straight. 

She then ran on well and looked just about the favourite to win at the 300m mark.

However, she then hung outward before suddenly shifting  further outward just before the 200m mark, bumping Golden Hostess.

The stipendiary report said the sudden shift was due to a rein drop.

To add to her woes she is then carried inward by Golden Hostess.

Kotzen felt severe frustration as he clearly had Hold My Hand in fine shape and he felt she could have won the race.

However, he said both horses had come out of their respective races really well and were on track for their next target races which will likely be the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 respectively.