"Michael [Rodd] said he didn't show any interest at all."
The blinkers, worn by Lion Tamer in last year's A$1.5 million Victoria Derby victory, will be re-applied for the Cox Plate.
"He pulled up perfectly after the race, and so he should, and nothing became obvious when he was vetted.
"There was a on-pace bias yesterday and that didn't help either."
The news was not as good for fellow Cambridge stayer My Scotsgrey who pulled up sore after the Herbert Power Handicap and his Melbourne Cup campaign is in doubt.
"I'll have his legs scanned tomorrow," said trainer Shaune Ritchie yesterday.
My Scotsgrey spent a year and a half away from racing with leg trouble after winning the NZ Cup.
Dashing A$1 million Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet has been installed the $3.50 Cox Plate favourite replacing Jimmy Choux, who is now at $4.40. The next are Lion Tamer at $10, Glass Harmonium and Rekindled Interest at $13 and Descarado and Secret Admirer on $15.
* * *
Sam Spratt is a prime example of how attitude is a huge element for success in sport.
Most jockeys would be filthy on not being considered for the ride for Mufhasa's A$525,000 Toorak win in Melbourne on Saturday.
Particularly if they had ridden Mufhasa to 10 of his 15 victories, including five group one wins.
But the happy-go-lucky Auckland jockey threw a genuine smile from the back of Matamata winner Baby Guinness in the weigh-in stall and said: "Ah, that's great, good on them."
And she meant it.
Spratt had partnered Mufhasa in many of his previous fruitless Australian campaigns and, as often happens in racing, connections looked for a change of luck, engaging Melbourne's Michael Rodd.
She thought she heard a commentary on the Caulfield victory from a car radio inside the running rail as Baby Guinness was being loaded into the barriers before her 1200m $15,000 Pertab Bloodstock win.
And to prove she was paying attention to the job in hand, Spratt guided Baby Guinness home after having also won the previous race, the $45,000 Wealleans Matamata Cup on up-and-coming Hastings visitor No Excuse Maggie.
No Excuse Maggie is a newcomer to the top grades, but trainer John Bary had been telling everyone the grey mare would quickly win a decent race. She got there by sheer determination.
Spratt at one point thought the mare was going well enough to win then she hit a flat spot only to get going again. "She came to the end of it short of the finish, but she refused to give in and wouldn't let that other horse [Justanexcuse] past.
"People think this mare is just a mudder, but she's not."
John Bary was not at Matamata, he was preparing Jimmy Choux for the A$3 million Cox Plate in 12 days' time.
* * *
A decision will be made in the next day or so where Guiseppina will head.
The high-class mare failed to handle the conditions at Hawera in Saturday's Windsor Park Breeders Stakes, finishing sixth, 1.8 lengths from the winner Dating.
"James [McDonald] said she just couldn't let down in the ground," said co-trainer Steven Ramsay
"They had a couple of downpours during the programme and she's such a big striding mare it made it tough on her. Each time there has been an affected track it has been her worst runs."4
Guiseppina's dashing close second at Hastings on a good surface when resuming showed she has come up well in her new campaign.
