Racing: Cropp flip-flop ends with ride on Partee

Lisa Cropp

Lisa Cropp will be riding Partee, not All Square, in the $200,000 City Of Auckland Cup on New Year's Day.

Cropp rode All Square to win Saturday's $80,000 Manawatu Cup, afterwards declaring him the best stayer she had ridden this season.

On Sunday morning, All Square's trainer, Gary Vile, confirmed with Cropp and her manager that she would be riding All Square in the Ellerslie feature.

But yesterday morning, Cropp called Dick Bothwell, co-trainer of Partee, and said she would ride her in the City of Auckland Cup.

Gary Vile has now engaged Andrew Calder to ride All Square.

Cropp finished a close third on Partee behind Kerry O'Reilly and Filante Etoile in the $100,000 Waikato Gold Cup two weeks ago, losing her left stirrup iron with about six strides left to the winning post.

"I called Lisa last week and told her Partee had come through the race well and that she was on the horse at Ellerslie," said Bothwell yesterday.

Vile said he got a shock when Cropp called him yesterday morning with the news that she could not now ride All Square.

"I said to Lisa that 24 hours earlier she was saying he's one of the best stayers she'd ridden and she said he was, but she was firmly committed to Partee and did not want to risk getting involved with the trouble she had earlier this year."

In February, Cropp was charged with booking a dual engagement for the $100,000 Telegraph at Trentham in January, involving Shastri from the Matamata stables of John Sargent and Clean Sweep trained by partners Mike Moroney and Andrew Scott.

She was fined $1250 and ordered to pay $550 in costs. Cropp rode Clean Sweep, who finished ninth.

Shastri finished a close fourth.

Vile said All Square had come through Saturday's win on an unsuitable wet track in remarkably good order. "I'm happy with the horse and I'm happy I have a rider as good as Andrew Calder in the saddle at Ellerslie. Andrew's ridden quite a few winners for me."