Australian Stayer Unplaced In NZ Cup

Sunday, 14 November 2010 01:45

Australian stayer Kerdem could finish no better than midfield in the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton on Saturday.

Ridden by Opie Bosson, Kerdem wound up eighth, beaten 4-1/2 lengths by Showcase in the 3200-metre feature.

The veteran's effort completed a frustrating day for trainer Patrick Payne, who saddled up Capecover in the inaugural 3200-metre Sandown Cup in Melbourne.

Capecover was strongly fancied to win the Sandown Cup after his luckless Queen's Cup placing but - like Kerdem - he never looked a genuine threat in finishing fourth.

Luck also deserted Victoria Derby-winning trainer Murray Baker as South Island filly King's Rose won the $NZ300,000 ($A235,000) One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.

The race was marred by a scrimmage near the finish and a severe check to hot favourite, the Baker-trained We Can Say It Now.

As the field dashed for the line 100 metres out, We Can Say It Now was shockingly squeezed between Magic Briar and Twilight Savings and rider Mark Du Plessis

had to haul the horse back.

King's Rose, on the outside of the other three and not involved, strode to the line, almost a length clear of Magic Briar with the same margin to Twilight Savings, stablemate of We Can Say It Now.

As the field returned, the siren sounded as several protests were fired in.

After a lengthy hearing, the protest by the connections of We Can Say It Now, which recovered after the interference to finish fifth, was promoted to fourth behind King's Rose, Twilight Savings and Smoulder (originally fourth).

Magic Briar was relegated to fifth.

King's Rose, a Redoute's Choice filly out of a Nureyev mare, is trained at Rangiora by Jason Bridgman.

She started sixth favourite despite a brilliant last-start victory at Ashburton.

NZPA WGT