Melbourne's chief steward Des Gleeson has satisfied himself there is nothing to the rumours that something is amiss with Sunline.
Gleeson said so strong were the rumours Sunline's below-par effort in Saturday's Underwood Stakes had been caused by back problems, he was forced to investigate.
He had one of his assistants watch Sunline work at Flemington yesterday morning.
"Basically I'd accepted Stephen McKee's assurances there was nothing wrong with the mare and after my assistant watched her work this morning I'm sure everything is okay," said Gleeson.
"Her being beaten on Saturday had nothing to do with there being anything wrong with her," said Stephen McKee yesterday.
Roger James won't allow himself to be fazed by Spring Rain.
He is taking no notice of Spring Rain's shocker in the Lowland Stakes on Saturday or the negative talk around the performance.
So much so he is going to fly in the face of conventional wisdom and run the class filly at 1600m next start.
"I've heard the talk that she won't run past 1200m, but I won't wear that, I'm going to do exactly the opposite of what most would think and run her at 1600m.
"I'm sure that if the distance on Saturday had been 1200m instead of 1400m she'd have finished seventh instead of fourth."
James has no idea why Spring Rain ran lengths below her best form after brilliantly winning the Highview Stakes when resuming.
But he dismisses the theory that the first-up effort left her flat.
"If she'd been beaten one length you'd have said she wasn't good enough, but to be beaten four and a half lengths was a different story."
"I'm disappointed, but I've been in the game a long time and you don't slash your wrists over one run.
The only stipulation about a 1600m run is a firm track.
"There are two 1600m coming up at Trentham, but they're unlikely to be run on a good track so a similar race the next week up here might be the best option."
The 1600m 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November has always been Spring Rain's mission and James says Saturday's performance changes nothing.
"If it's done anything it's taken the pressure off us."
When every second chicken sold in Australia each day is yours, you don't have many bad days.
Jack and Bob Ingham had one yesterday.
The chicken kings' outstanding filly Unworldly snapped a leg in training in Sydney yesterday morning and had to be put down.
Unworldly, being hailed as the next Sunline, met her fate working at 4.30 am and usually pragmatic trainer John Hawkes was so distressed he refused to be interviewed.
Unworldly was due to go to Melbourne last night for the Caulfield Guineas and she had been heavily supported in the Cox Plate.
Things only got worse.
An hour or so later the Inghams' $A2.5 million Doncaster Handicap winner Over broke down and has been retired to stud.
And the Inghams thought their good mare Tribute's breaking down on Monday was simply fleeting bad luck.
Kiwi mare Hill Of Grace has been the best backed Caulfield Cup runner in the last week.
"The support for her has been huge," said Brian Taylor, book manager for Melbourne bookmaking office Double Bet.
Hill Of Grace is currently second favourite at 7-1 behind 6-1 favourite Fairway, who surprised by beating Sunline in Saturday's Underwood Stakes.
Kaapstad Way, Caulfield Cup favourite last week, is now at 9.-1.
Hero will have a change of rider for Saturday's $40,000 Lion Brown Plate at Rotorua.
Jim Collett will replace Mark Hills, who is sidelined with shoulder ligament problems.
Another Cambridge rider, Mark Du Plessis, will be riding in Singapore for the next two weekends.
Racing: Stewards inspection scotches star rumours
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.