Racing: Early Vin De Dance plans on hold

Derby-winning Melbourne Cup chance will take short early-season spell to sort out some 'niggling issues'. Photo / Trish Dunell

Racing fans won't get the early season sighting of Melbourne Cup candidate Vin De Dance as originally planned.

Vin De Dance slipped into contention for the group one $8.08 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 6 when winning last season's group one New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie before finishing fourth in both the group one Rosehill Guineas (2000m), when relegated from second, and the group one ATC Derby (2400m).

He was put aside for a spell after the Sydney campaign and was coming up nicely until a minor setback.

"He's had a few gallops and was basically on track to do more but he had a few niggling issues and it was best to back off him," co-trainer Andrew Forsman said.

"He had some stiffness in his back area and just wasn't right.

"By backing off now, he's got time to get over the problem and he still has a chance to get to the Melbourne Cup if he comes up well enough.

"The plan is to give him 10 days off so he'll be back in work in about a week. He wasn't far off trialling when we put him out, so he won't lose much fitness."

Vin De Dance has been lightly tried and, though he won on debut over 1200m at Pukekohe 11 months ago, he excelled when stepped-up over ground and benefited from a two-race Melbourne spring campaign last year in which he ran third, then fifth.

Meanwhile, Forsman and his senior training partner, Murray Baker, are stepping out many members of their team at this week's two sets of northern trials, with the stable star Bonneval on target to trial at Avondale today.

The multiple group one winner and New Zealand Horse of the Year strained a suspensory ligament last season but she has been pleasing her trainers in her build-up to a return to racing.

"She came in at the end of May and is great," Forsman said. "She would have trialled at Te Teko last week if they had them.

"She will have a couple of trials then will head over to Australia. There's no real rush with her. We'll just let her get through these trials first."

Bonneval last raced when unplaced in the group one Caulfield Cup (2400m), two starts after she completed a double in the group one Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, having won the group two Feehan Stakes (1600m) fresh-up.

The New Zealand and ATC Oaks winner will be joined at today's Avondale trials by several talented stablemates, including group one winner Saint Emilion, Highlad and the exciting three-year-old prospects Botti and Rubira.

The Baker/Forsman team had a number of horses trial at Te Teko yesterday, with group one winner Jon Snow impressing in his trial when second to Te Akau Shark over 1030m.

The stable's last-start group one Sydney Cup (3200m) runner-up Zacada was an eye-catching winner of his heat over 1200m and is likely to resume over a mile as he builds towards a Melbourne Cup berth.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Riddell will be the new rider of New York Minute in the Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa on Saturday and the group one Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. New York Minute is unbeaten in her three starts since joining the Baker/Forsman stable this year and Lisa Allpress has been in the saddle on each occasion.

But Allpress has a prior commitment to the Fraser Auret-trained Sensible Princess in the Tarzino Trophy on September 1, requiring a new rider to be found for New York Minute in the weight-for-age Hawke's Bay feature.

"We wanted someone who could also ride her in the Tarzino Trophy so we've got Jonathan," Forsman said.

- Racing Desk