Racing: Star Kiwi horses trapped in Australia as trainers face logistical nightmare

Quick Thinker gave New Zealand its fourth Group 1 win of the Sydney carnival in the ATC Derby, but may now struggle to return home. Photo / Bradley Photos

The superstars of New Zealand racing are set to become the stars of Australian racing for the remainder of 2020.

Because when big names Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle and Saturday's ATC Derby winner Quick Thinker finish their current Sydney campaigns, they can't come home.

The small Kiwi contingent have been consistently superb at the rich Sydney carnival, with Quick Thinker's brave win in the A$1 million Derby on Saturday the fourth Group 1 victory by a New Zealand-trained horse there in five weeks.

It also further extended co-trainer Murray Baker's record for Group 1 wins by a New Zealand trainer in Australia.

"I think that takes me to 22 Group 1s in Australia, three more than my good mate John Wheeler there," smiled Baker, revelling in the second achievement as much as the first.

A gutbusting Derby win like Saturday's would usually earn Quick Thinker a nice break in a paddock back in Cambridge, but horses flights aren't operating at the moment - and that may not change for a while. To fly, horses need a groom alongside, and that is currently not allowed.

Exactly when those travel restrictions change is impossible to work out but in the short term Baker and training partner Andrew Forsman are toying with the idea of starting Quick Thinker in the Frank Packer Plate, a race they won with The Chosen One last season, in 12 days.

"It will depend on how he comes through the Derby but he is stuck there and he is tough. And it is set-weight races, which helps," says Baker.

The fact New Zealand horses in Sydney can't fly home any time soon is complicated by the reality our elite-level horses do much of their racing in Australia anyway - as their best stakes can be 10 times higher than at home.

So even if they could get home, their connections would be gambling on being able to fly them back again in time for the spring racing riches.

Te Akau racing boss David Ellis has already made his decision with three of their biggest names.

"Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle and Probabeel will all race at Randwick this Saturday and then be spelled in New South Wales," says Ellis.

"They can have their break there and be set for the spring racing over there as well.

"We can't bring them home anyway and if we did we wouldn't be sure if we could get them back. Nobody knows."

So Te Akau will bring their two staff members home next Monday, facing 14 days in self-isolation, and will eventually send staff back to oversee preparations in the spring.

"And we are hoping by then the travel restrictions have loosened enough for us to get Avantage and Pris De Fer over there with them. But that part is all in the future obviously," says Ellis.

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike will face similar decisions around Bostonian, luckless Derby contender Sherwood Forest and Not An Option, with the latter likely to contest the Champagne Stakes at Randwick in 12 days as well.

But unless there are quick changes to travel restrictions, almost all the New Zealand horses who are competing at this carnival are likely to stay in Australia and be set for spring campaigns.

While that will create some logistical nightmares for their trainers the reality is most horses of that calibre were unlikely to race much in New Zealand in the spring anyway, although Melody Belle did win the Hawke's Bay triple crown last year.

She will back up from her huge fourth in the Doncaster on Saturday into the Queen Elizabeth at Randwick again this Saturday, but will have a new rider with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle as regular pilot Opie Bosson sticks with Te Akau Shark.

Bosson will also be on Probabeel in the A$500,0000 ATC Oaks.