Racing: D-day tomorrow for Cheval De Troy

A decision will be made tomorrow whether Cheval De Troy will run in Saturday's A$2 million BMW at Rosehill.

The race became a distinct possibility after Cheval De Troy virtually had no race after being put out of business in the home straight in Saturdays A$500,000 Rosehill Guineas.

Cheval De Troy was about to burst through a gap between runners 200m out when Outback Prince, under a hard ride from Hugh Bowman, ducked out sharply under pressure and pushed Svenska outwards, closing the gap Cheval De Troy was attempting to make.

Bowman was found guilty of careless riding and was suspended from between March 20 and April 2, allowing him to ride at Saturday's A$3 million Golden Slipper meeting.

It had been Outback Prince who seriously inconvenienced Cheval De Troy in the home straight in the A$400,000 Canterbury Guineas two weeks earlier, on that occasion running in under the whip, not out.

There was a slight suggestion Cheval De Troy did not show the same explosive acceleration into the gap on Saturday that he had been able to produce at home, but trainer Colin Jillings said the colt's rider, Darren Beadman, had been of the opinion that Cheval De Troy probably would have won had he got through the gap.

The BMW is the race Jillings had wanted to run Cheval De Troy in rather than the $1.8 million AJC Derby, but the colts owners were determined on the Derby.

The BMW looms as a possibility now in addition to the Derby the following weekend because Cheval De Troy has pulled up fresh without being extended on Saturday.

"He ate up everything after the race and he was as fresh as you like when I walked him this morning," said Jillings.

If he starts in the BMW, Cheval De Troy will require a jockey change - his third in three races in Australia.

Beadman has a long-standing BMW engagement for former New Zealand mare Vouvray.

"I've got plenty of options for jockeys," said Jillings.

"I've had calls from a lot of senior Australian jockeys, but I can't yet declare who we probably have in mind."