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Talented stayers Maybe Better and Dolphin Jo won't be seen during the autumn carnival in Australia with their respective trainers keen to concentrate on winning next year's Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Terry O'Sullivan decided to give Dolphin Jo a long spell after the gelding's slashing fifth to Efficient in
the big race last month.
"He had a bit of a leg problem and I've decided not to risk him in the autumn," said the Stawell trainer, who prepares the gelding in partnership with his daughter Karina.
Dolphin Jo broke a drought of nearly 18 months when he won the listed Bart Cummings (2530m) at Flemington on October 6 defeating subsequent Geelong Cup winner The Fuzz.
That victory, his fourth in a 32-start career, was his first since his win in the listed VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington in April 2006.
But O'Sullivan never lost faith in the stayer who earned his connections A$246,000 during his spring campaign and took his overall earnings to more than $500,000.
At his first attempt at 3200m, Dolphin Jo ran 15th to Delta Blues in the 2006 Melbourne Cup, while last May he ran an encouraging second to New Kid In Town in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) on a slow track at Sandown.
Trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith said he would also play it safe with 2006 Melbourne Cup placegetter Maybe Better who missed this year's Cup when he a was a late scratching on raceday. The 5-year-old was discovered to be lame in the off foreleg.
Mayfield-Smith noticed the horse had an enlarged vein in his leg when he was walking him round the stables about two hours before the Cup and, while he did not break down, the trainer was not willing to take the gamble by running him.
"Unfortunately he had to come out of the Cup at the death knock," he said.
"I'll probably err on the side of caution and miss the Sydney autumn with him."
Maybe Better had been coming along beautifully for the Cup as displayed by his fourth to Maldivian in the Yalumba Stakes (2000m) until he disappointed in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) finishing ninth to Master O'Reilly.
However he was later found to be sore in a joint.
That problem was thought to have been rectified with treatment and he pressed on towards the Melbourne Cup, running an even seventh to Sirmione in the Mackinnon Stakes.
With the past Melbourne Cup still prominent in most punters' minds there was keen interest in the performance of Guillotine, a half-brother to Cup winner Efficient, in the Winning Edge Presentations Handicap at Rosehill on Saturday.
However, talented galloper Party Crasher lived up to his name, especially for those punters who backed Guillotine.
He started the $2.05 favourite in the 1400 metre race while Party Crasher had some supporters and was backed from $10 to start at $9.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained galloper hit the lead on the turn before jockey Nash Rawiller went for home and the 5-year-old skipped away to score by 2 1/2 lengths over Guillotine.
The latter boxed on gamely but didn't appear to handle the going which was upgraded from a heavy eight to a slow seven after three races.
Rawiller, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Saturday, brought up a treble aboard Party Crasher after earlier victories on the Waterhouse-trained Ultimate Risk and Magenta Light for Anthony Cummings.
"That was a great effort. He pinched a nice break on them and showed plenty of fight in the end," Rawiller said.
Jockey Hugh Bowman, who rode Guillotine, said his horse simply ran out of condition after coming from the back of the field only to fade over the closing stages.
"It was a good run but he'd just had enough in that last 100 metres," Bowman said. Trainer David Payne said the wet conditions proved too difficult for his colt to negotiate.
"But he'll be back, probably at Randwick in two weeks in a 1900 metre race." Rednrich did best of the rest another three-quarters of a length away third.
- AAP
