Racing: Cambridge stayer faces tests after ordinary effort

Nom du Jeu will undergo a bank of physical tests today after being badly beaten in Sydney on Saturday.

The Cambridge stayer raced lengths off his best when finishing ninth in the A$300,000 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick.

"We're going to have him checked out," said a disappointed co-trainer Murray Baker.

Nom du Jeu looked anything but the winner of last year's AJC Derby in Sydney as he beat only roughie Raheeb home.

He will need to fly through his bank of tests to continue his Sydney autumn carnival campaign.

Red Ruler, who was runner-up to Nom du Jeu in the Derby, on paper looked to fare not much better in finishing two places ahead, but trainer John Sargent was happy with the run.

"He was hitting the line quite nicely, which is what we wanted to see," said Sargent.

"The 1600m was too short for him and he was only just getting into winding up late."

But Sargent also has a potential problem with Red Ruler.

"He pulled up well, but when we were loading him on to the float he was walking short on a hind leg.

"It was up high and he might have just tweaked a muscle.

"We'll know tomorrow how he is."

The Chipping Norton was won by outstanding mare Tuesday Joy.

Sargent's top 3-year-old filly Il Quello Veloce was galloped on as she finished sixth, two lengths behind the winner Portillo, in the group two Surround Stakes (1400m).

Il Quello Veloce was backed in from $13 to $10 with bookmakers but couldn't finish the race off after having a good run handy on the rails.

Sargent said the filly was still on target for either the A$600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) for fillies and mares or A$150,000 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) for 3-year-olds at Rosehill on March 21.

"She lost some skin off her back legs and didn't really settle, but, hopefully, she can improve on that," the Matamata horseman said.

In other Sydney news, controversial racing administrator Richard Freedman resigned his position with the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) last week.

His resignation came a week after the AJC was served with a petition which will require all but one of its directors to stand down and a new board to be elected within two months.

Freedman has been under fire from trainers at Randwick and Warwick Farm since his appointment a year ago as the AJC executive director of racing.

In August, the Randwick Trainers Association issued a vote of no confidence in Freedman to the board of the AJC after dissatisfaction with the way lease agreements for stables at the track were handled.

However, Freedman said in a statement announcing his resignation he believed there had been significant improvements during his tenure.

"In the best interests of both parties I have terminated my agreement with the AJC," Freedman said.

Darren Pearce, executive director of finance and corporate affairs at the AJC, will take over Freedman's role.

- Additional reporting NZPA, AAP