KEY POINTS:
One leading trainer described Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington on Saturday as the Melbourne spring carnival's "fork in the road".
Presumably, he didn't imagine that one of the forks led to a dead-end.
For at least two of the Melbourne spring carnival's most exciting prospects, the party is
over.
Melbourne's hero Weekend Hussler and Sydney's best older galloper, Tuesday Joy, are either out of action for the rest of the year or close to it after their exertions on Saturday.
In the case of Tuesday Joy, who came into the meeting as a vibrant and powerful Melbourne Cup prospect, the immediate future is certain.
She bled in the Turnbull Stakes and is now banned from racing for three months.
For Weekend Hussler, the Horse of the Year and racing's great story, there is more doubt than finality.
Weekend Hussler finished eighth in the Turnbull, placing his ambitious spring campaign under a cloud, if not in serious jeopardy.
He had a harder run than any other horse in the Turnbull from his outside gate, but he was meant to be better than every other horse.
Trainer Ross McDonald had confidently planned to run Weekend Hussler in the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup.
At this stage, McDonald is pressing on to the first of those races, but with his confidence deflated and with a word of warning for punters.
"We'll see how he draws before making a decision," McDonald said.
"If he got another bad barrier I'd scratch him."
Such an attitude in a race that attracts huge pre-post betting from punters who would lose their money cold if they backed the horse before final acceptances, is bound to concern stewards. Of less concern to connections would be the scratching fee of around A$20,000.
Sent out the $1.90 favourite on Saturday, Weekend Hussler was trapped three wide facing the breeze midfield throughout after jumping from the outside barrier in the 13-horse field.
"He's run out of 13 twice and they've been a disgrace, his worst runs," he said, referring to his failure in the Emirates Stakes (1600m) behind Tears I Cry last spring.
"Brad (Rawiller) said they slowed up and it was a 'prick' of a race, he just couldn't get in and just forget about it.
"You can't do what he did and run home but he didn't knock him around and he appeared to pull up okay so we'll keep going.
"You have to get beaten sometimes. It would be hard going for the Caulfield Cup looking for your fifth win in a row wouldn't it.
"He's done all the work, that's all I can say."
McDonald said yesterday Weekend Hussler had come through the race apparently unscathed.
"He's had his head in his feed bin all night. We went for a walk this morning and he was fine," he said.
"They all have their off days."
Weekend Hussler is now the $5 second favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Caulfield Cup behind Turnbull winner Littorio who is now at $4.80.
Littorio had been placed in four Group One races - the Victoria and AJC Australian Derbys, the Rosehill Guineas and the Underwood Stakes - before Saturday.
But the Bellotto 4-year-old had won only once, in a Sale two-year-old maiden (1400m) in May last year.
However, with blinkers on for the first time, Littorio ($9) followed Weekend Hussler throughout, went past him in the straight and kept going strongly to the line for a length win over reigning Caulfield Cup winner Master O'Reilly ($61) with Zipping ($81) a head away third.
"He's been racing super he just hasn't had the luck," Blackiston said.
"He possibly could have won more races by now. The press had him as a one-start winner, but he certainly did everything right today.
"Our plan has always been to run in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. I'm very happy." Weekend Hussler remains favourite for the Cox Plate at $3.50 with Matamata mare Princess Coup now at $4 following her comprehensive win in the Kelt Capital Stakes.
In the Melbourne Cup Weekend Hussler has almost slid from the bookmaker's boards at $26 in a market now headed by Littorio ($6.50) and the Irish stayer Septimus who is at $7.50 along with Master O'Reilly and Efficient.
As Weekend Hussler and Tuesday Joy took their wrong turns, their places were taken by Princess Coup and the Newcastle filly Samantha Miss.
Trainer Mark Walker said he planned to send Princess Coup to Melbourne three days before the Cox Plate in which she will be ridden by her latest partner, Opie Bosson.
In Sydney, Australia's best filly clearly became one of the best horses in the country. The run made her third pick in Cox betting, even though trainer Kris Lees did his best to keep everything in perspective - at least for a few days.
- AAP