MacGregor miffed at rule omission

Star Wairarapa galloper Fritzy Boy wouldn't have been given the chance to win the South Island triple crown at the Southland Racing Club's meeting at Ascot Park, Invercargill on Saturday had his Opaki trainer Alby MacGregor been fully aware of the rules pertaining to the series.
MacGregor ventured south with his talented three-year-old with the idea of capturing the $100,000 bonus offered for winning all three legs of the triple crown; the Gore Guineas, Dunedin Guineas and the Southland Guineas & the first two of which are already in the bag.
But he said yesterday he would have stayed at home had he known of a condition which said the bonus could only be won if each of the three races attracted at least 10 runners.
That was no problem for either Gore or Dunedin but Saturday's event at Invercargill is a very different story with only nine horses accepting there.
MacGregor is miffed that racing's "bible", the Thoroughbred Racing Monthly, had made no mention of the requirement for 10 runners in each leg.
In fact, the first he knew of it was when it was published in the racebook at the Gore meeting.
"There is no way we would have travelled all this way had we known that rule existed & the incentive of the bonus was the prime reason why we decided to make the trip," MacGregor said.
Gallop South chief executive Andre Klein said the ten runners in each leg was a condition of the insurance policy which underwrites the bonus. He said his organisation simply couldn't afford to pay $100,000 out of their own pockets.
Entries for the Southland Guineas were originally due to close on Tuesday afternoon but were left open until 9.30am yesterday morning after only eight were received.
Unfortunately, however, an increase of at least two didn't happen despite the efforts of MacGregor himself who said he had spoken to a number of trainers without success.
"There were a couple who were humming and haaing but they didn't come to the party in the end, it's very disappointing," he said.
So disappointed was MacGregor, that he gave serious thought to withdrawing Fritzy Boy from the Southland Guineas, thereby forgoing any chance of taking the triple crown, but in a telephone conversation with the Times-Age yesterday he was more inclined towards a start.
"It's a long way to come and not race so we'll probably bite the bullet and line up," he said.
That Fritzy Boy will start a hot favourite at Ascot Park because of his impressive formline is guaranteed, even more so after the comments made by jockey Brian Hibberd after he had worked him at pace at the Rangiora track yesterday morning.
"He (Hibberd) got off him and said he can't see anything beating him on Saturday, he felt that good," MacGregor said.
"He's bright and breezy, he's probably a length or two better than what he's been."
MacGregor expects Eel Win, who was runner-up to Fritzy Boy at both Gore and Dunedin, to again be the main threat this weekend. "He's nice horse and if we get into any trouble he's probably good enough to take advantage of it."