Racing: Classic season ends in disaster for class 3-year-old

Cheval De Troy is to be gelded and is now not transferring to Lee Freedman's leading Melbourne stable.

That is the remarkable aftermath of the talented New Zealand colt finishing last behind world class mare Makybe Diva in Saturday's A$2 million at Rosehill.

It was Cheval De Troy's worst career performance and his 50 per cent ownership shareholder Peter Walker told the Herald from Sydney yesterday that efforts to make him into an extremely valuable stallion are to be scrapped.

Which is a staggering turnaround. Cheval De Troy would have been worth around $3 million as a stallion prospect had he won the Mercedes Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day - a race he started a raging favourite in - and almost certainly more had he enjoyed better luck in the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas in Sydney in recent weeks.

His breeder, Sir Patrick Hogan, told the Herald pre-Derby that he had the colt as a potential inclusion to his shopping list as a Cambridge Stud stallion if he won the Derby and performed well in the Australian classics.

Cheval De Troy, a magnificent physical type, desperately needed a group one victory as a 3-year-old to establish his sire credentials. That is now impossible because he will be spelled immediately when he returns home on the first available flight.

Sadly, the listed Derby Prelude is his highest achievement this far and he will go into the record books as possibly the best 3-year-old never to win a group race.

"It's a waste of time trying to make him into a stallion now," said Walker. "It's a shame, but we want a racehorse - myself and the other three owners are in it for racing.

"I've spoken to Patrick [Hogan] and he agrees we should geld him and so does Colin Jillings."

Walker said rather than Cheval De Troy going to Lee Freedman's stable he will be rejoining Colin Jillings' former partner Richard Yuill, who is establishing a solo training career.

"He can go into a paddock at my place and we'll work things out from there. I'm pretty devastated at the moment, but these things happen."

Walker said consideration would be given to aiming Cheval De Troy at the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in the spring.

Cheval De Troy sat outside the pacemaker and eventual second placegetter Grand Armee on Saturday and dropped away from the approach to the home turn to tail the field.

Hong Kong-based jockey Shane Dye said he felt like a tired horse.

"I can't work it out, he looks tremendous.

"Perhaps he's never fully recovered from that hard race he had in the Derby at Ellerslie.

"He was very tired after that and perhaps the 10 days he had in the paddock afterwards was not enough."

Walker believes Cheval De Troy will come back a better horse as a 4-year-old.

"He's probably still a bit weak. He's such a magnificent individual that it takes your mind away from things like that."

The colt's owners were certainly out of luck. The Sydney Turf Club paid A$50,000 back to 10th place - as 11th and last Cheval De Troy was the only one who didn't collect.

It was a sad way to end one of New Zealand's finest training careers.

Seventy-four-year-old Colin Jillings walked away from racing in the worst possible way - with a last placing.

The only appropriate element was that his staggeringly successful 54-year training career began in Sydney when Lady Finnis won a race at Randwick on his 20th birthday in 1954.

* The positive element for Peter Walker is his smart juvenile Waikeepadacash broke through for his first win in the $10,000 D J O'Sullivan Salver at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The Richard Yuill-trained youngster appreciated a track that had the jar out and finished powerfully for rider Lee Tiley.

"I'm so pleased because the other owners are all first-timers and they're a great bunch."

They include former All Black Duncan Robertson, Bill Wilson, Bill Lloyd and Brian Forrest.