Looking at the race again and reading the Stewards Report it simply has to be one of the Worst big race drives of all time. He said,

"he believed his best option was to shift wider in the back straight as he anticipated being able to get clear,"

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/st...l/?mc=GP140423

He must be prone to living in fantasy land - oh yeah leave it until the back straight as that will give me the easiest run.
It was a $Million race and he showed ZERO INITIATIVE
It is so bad it is almost suspicious

The pace was not really on early and he says he wanted to lead - that is when he had to do something

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...23#GPM14042305