For a young man on the eve of the biggest drive of his career, Dylan Ferguson has been left disappointed and confused.
But he will still head to Alexandra Park tonight hoping for his first unofficial Group 1 victory, even though his name won't appear in the record books should Classy Operator win the $95,000 Cardigan Bay Stakes.
Ferguson was maybe the worst affected among at least six Waikato-based drivers who will not be allowed to drive at tonight's premier meeting at Alexandra Park, causing a dramatic reshuffle.
Ferguson's father Peter, David Butcher, Todd Mitchell, Matthew White and Alicia Harrison were all told yesterday they would no longer be able to drive at the meeting even though they had been granted Government exemptions to do so.
The change came when newly-formed Racing NZ, made of up the heads of the three codes, asked the Department of Internal Affairs for clarification of the rules about horse people being allowed to travel into Auckland under level 3 and work at the race meeting.