Racing: Heaven awaits honest mare

MELBOURNE - Retirement awaits Miss Potential, but she's not heeding its call.

The 6-year-old mare gave her all - as she always does - before going under in a fight with Lotteria in the group one A$500,000 Myer Classic at Flemington on Saturday.

Miss Potential won the race last year and was far too good this time for all but Lotteria, the Cox Plate runner-up of last weekend.

Waikato trainer Bill Borrie postponed a pregnancy scan on Miss Potential last week, not wanting to disrupt her preparation for the Myer, so well was she doing at her temporary base at Mornington.

She was served by international sire Red Ransom in New South Wales on October 10 before running third in the group two Waterford Crystal Mile on October 23.

Borrie said he would have the scan done today.

If she is confirmed as in-foal he will nominate her for both the Emirates Stakes and the Hilton International Stakes, formerly the Matriarch Stakes, next Saturday.

The Emirates is a group one 1600m race while the Hilton is a group two 2000m race for fillies and mares. If she is not in foal, she will probably head back to the breeding barn.

Borrie said a happy retirement at Te Kauwhata awaited his favourite horse, who has given him three group one wins.

"There's a paddock ready for her at home, in front of the house, about eight acres with a duck pond in the middle of it, with fresh grass. Nothing's been in it for three months so she will be in horse heaven."

The mare was very much a part of the family, doted on by his wife, Carrie.

"It's a bit hackneyed, but it's almost like having another child."

Jockey Reese Jones said Miss Potential put in a terrific effort.

He scooted the mare to an early lead, asked her to go at the 400m, put a break of a few lengths on the field, and just failed to hold out Lotteria's charge.

Said Jones: "She let down wonderfully but she got run over by a horse that got run down by a champion last week."

New Zealand-owned mare Calveen ran on strongly for fourth in the race, while two places further back was She's Justa Tad.

The latter's trainer, Rudy Liefting, was pleased with the effort, but said the mare would now spell at an agistment farm in Cranbourne in Victoria. Liefting said he was investigating setting up a stable at Cranbourne.

And it wasn't until Matamata trainer Ken Kelso looked at the sectional times for the Saab Quality that he decided to pay up the final Cup acceptance fee for Envoy.

His horse only finished 11th in the Saab (2500m) and initially it looked likely to rule any chance of a cup run.

But the pace was slow in the Saab and Envoy was well back.

"They just crawled and he pulled his head off," Kelso told NZPA.

Envoy's last 800m was among the fastest and that swayed Kelso into making the final Cup payment.

"I can't really get a line on him from that run, but we're here and those sectional times give me some encouragement," he said.

Kelso has engaged Victorian jockey Peter Mertens for the cup.

"He's a strong lightweight rider," he said.

Steven King rode Envoy on Saturday. He said afterwards he thought the Personal Escort gelding would be better suited by the 3200m of the Cup. "Whether he is a top 10 chance is another question."

Envoy drew nicely in barrier two.

There are three New Zealand-trained horses in the cup field, the others being Xcellent and Bazelle.

Xcellent, to be ridden by Michael Coleman, drew 17, which was not a worry to trainer Mike Moroney.

"He always gets back so that's fine. We just didn't want to draw close to the inside."

Bazelle's trainer Paul Jenkins did want to draw handy, but was ended up with the 22 barrier. However, Jenkins was remaining positive.

"'We will roll forward from out there and hopefully things with fall in place for us," Jenkins said.

The connections of New Zealand-owned mare Vouvray paid up for the cup, despite her disappointing run for eighth in the Mackinnon Stakes.

Victorian trainer Peter Moody's initial inclination was not to run Vouvray in the cup, but the owners wanted a start.

Vouvray drew 15 and will be ridden again by Scott Seamer.

Caulfield Cup winner Railings, part-owned by Gerard Peterson, drew five, with expatriate Greg Childs to ride, while Portland Singa and Hugs Dancer, who have New Zealand owners, drew one and seven.

- NZPA