KEY POINTS:
The Auckland Racing Club is unlikely to change its policies for qualifying to run in the $700,000 Mercedes Derby.
For the past four years the Derby field has been selected purely on stakemoney earned.
This year that policy cost $11 chance Thumbs Up a place in the field - he is first emergency - at the expense of $101 prospect Abitofado.
ARC racing manager Butch Castles said selecting a field on stakemoney was the best method.
"It's the most transparent and the connections of every horse know exactly where they stand at all times.
"It's been suggested we do it on official ratings, but there are a number of reasons why that wouldn't always be ideal."
Castles said the connections of Thumbs Up could have changed their racing lead-up options, which almost certainly would have got the horse into the field.
"Thumbs Up won a very minor race at Hastings and two days later we ran a $40,000 3-year-old race here at Ellerslie, which would have got the horse into the Derby field."
Trainer Shaune Ritchie is disappointed Thumbs Up did not make the field, particularly after finishing in front of well-fancied Derby chance Six O'Clock News in trackwork on Tuesday morning.
Unless there is a scratching allowing Thumbs Up into the Derby field, he runs in Race 10 tomorrow, the R80 2100m.
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The transportation of New Zealand horses into New South Wales will resume next Wednesday.
The door has been opened by the NSW Government which yesterday announced the state is finally free of equine influenza.
Horses have been unable to travel to NSW because the Government required vaccination by Proteque, a genetically modified vaccine that is unavailable in New Zealand.
The protocols for returning to New Zealand from Australia are still being discussed by government bodies and industry groups and clear direction is hoped for in the next three to four weeks.
The most popular suggestion is horses being required to complete three weeks quarantine in Australia and a further two in quarantine in New Zealand.
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The 1200m chute at Trentham will not be used for the Masterton meeting tomorrow.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing said a section of the chute at about the 900m point was last month resown to alleviate a low point adjacent to an old vehicle crossing. National racecourse manager Garry Foskett inspected the track with club officials last week and it was agreed to avoid racing over this part of the track until the meeting on March 15. The two 1200m races tomorrow will start in the back straight.
- NZPA
