What puzzles me is OR-S had a commanding lead,
These guys have tons of match racing experience and failed to cover (spend some lead)?

Stay in between the next mark and your competitor, keep leverage to a minimum,
and spend some of that lead to maintain cover (Match Racing 101).

Perhaps the pressure / speed intoxicated them or got rattled as mention above?
How many times have you failed to cover and lost?

How about throwing the race. How unexciting would it be if Jmmy wins all the time. They don't want to kill the contest.