Racing: Melbourne move off the cards for McNab

Chris McNab will not, after all, be relocating to Australia.

It has been well publicised that McNab would close his Cambridge stable to train Rob McAnulty's horses in Melbourne.

But after a quick trip last week to the proposed stable near Sandown Racetrack, McNab has decided to remain in New Zealand.

"The owners required me to commit to 45 boxes and to have 45 in work at any one time you have to have 60 horses on your books," said McNab yesterday. "The economics didn't stack up."

McAnulty guaranteed McNab 35 horses, but that left a 25 shortfall.

"It would have been great training in Melbourne, I would have loved the challenge of it, but you have to be realistic. There is no point in going there if the economics don't work - the competition is incredibly strong in Melbourne."

McNab will continue to train St Reims in New Zealand for the ownership syndicate headed by McAnulty. St Reims finished down the track behind Grand Armee in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick over the Easter carnival.

"He's still the best weight-for-age horse in New Zealand," said McNab.

"Horses like Danbird, who don't seem to like the Australian environment, can drop back to here and Chris will train them," said McAnulty. "Also, a couple of my Hong Kong clients are happy to leave horses here to be trained by Chris."

The Auckland-based owner said he would divide his team in Australia, a couple with Chris Waller in Sydney a couple more with Gai Waterhouse and the majority with David Hayes, who is returning to Australia after a decade training with huge success in Hong Kong.

"We've had a lot of luck from the Hayes stable with horses like Seascay, St Covet and Mr Vitality."

McAnulty said the shift to Australia was purely economical - he has copped huge flak for his "racing for a sack of carrots" comment on New Zealand racing.

"To make it work for our higher priced horses we have to race them in Australia. But the $700,000 Danehill and the Viscount, the only two horses we bought at Karaka, are remaining here meantime."

McNab said many people in racing, mistakenly, thought he trained privately for McAnulty.

"I've always had horses for other people and I'll be building up that side of my stable from here."

His runaway Avondale winner on Monday, Bedelia, is owned by Hong Kong clients.

McNab said St Reims is having a break and will be prepared for the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in the spring. St Reims is spelling at Ron Taylor's Cambridge property and will soon start three weeks of beach training.

"The old bloke wants to race so he can keep racing," said McAnulty.

Like everyone else with a stake in racing, McNab wants to see prizemoney increases.

"New Zealand racing is terrific, but the prizemoney is not there. Everyone's sick of report after report after report. We've been hearing that for six or seven years - administration needs a shake-up."

Chris McNab

* The Cambridge trainer will now not be moving to Australia to train Rob McAnulty's horses.

* McNab said the economics of relocating to Melbourne are too difficult.

* McNab will continue to train St Reims locally.