Racing: Empyreal erases doubts

SYDNEY - Levin trainer Peter McKenzie admitted even he was having doubts about his horse Empyreal's chances in the Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland on Saturday after reading about the reputation of fellow New Zealand galloper Sphenophyta.

"I started to believe the newspapers. They had Sphenophyta as totally unbeatable," McKenzie told NZPA yesterday.

But fortunately for the lawyer, actor and horse trainer, his original thoughts about the race bore fruit, even though the track was rated dead, and nowhere near as heavy as he had hoped.

Sphenophyta, from Richard Otto's Waikato stable at Te Awamutu, hit the lead 200m out in an action-packed 2400m event, but Empyreal came with a sustained run on his inside to win by a long neck.

Before his doubts began to surface, McKenzie said on Thursday that Sphenophyta and the other strong New Zealand fancy Ring Of Fire would be put to the test by Empyreal because of his toughness and experience on the track.

"Even though it wasn't heavy, it is a testing track and he is a strong stayer who can cope with it, while Sphenophyta had not run there before," McKenzie said.

He was prepared to forgive jockey Chris Johnson for sticking to the inside of the track on his Sunshine Coast Guineas hope Sculptor, as long as he did not do it again on Empyreal.

"He [Johnson] was victim of circumstances, not having ridden there before and when a huge gap opened on the inside, he took it with Sculptor but it was just like a patch of glue down there."

Sculptor ran a creditable fifth in the circumstances.

Johnson learned from his mistake, angling Empyreal to the centre of the track early in the home straight.

McKenzie was pleased with Johnson's ride in the cup which allowed Empyreal to show his fighting qualities.

"He really lifted in the last 100m. The horse really wanted to win. He won on his merits."

Empyreal and Sculptor will both head to the Grafton Cup (2400m) in New South Wales on July 13, with McKenzie hoping for a wet track.

Sphenophyta is returning home, with Otto hoping the horse will mature enough to tackle the Caulfield Cup in the spring.

Ring Of Fire was brought down when New Zealand outsider Richter Pass broke down at the 800m mark. The horse emerged uninjured, as did jockey Stathi Katsidis, trainer Donna Logan said yesterday.

"He is bouncing out of his skin today," Logan said.

"We are so lucky, he is not lame, and he has lost no skin.

"He was just so well for that race but we are fortunate he has come out of it unscathed."

Ring Of Fire returned home yesterday and Logan will set him for the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick in Sydney early in October.

It was a day of highs and lows for Logan, as El Perez won a 2000m handicap for her at Flemington in Melbourne.

Even though Logan had expected a worse track than firm, she was confident El Perez could win.

Damien Oliver rode the Lord Ballina gelding and told Logan he was keen to ride him again in the Banjo Patterson (2500m) on Saturday.

La Sizeranne, winner of the Winter Stakes last weekend, finished fifth in the Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra in her final race before a mating with stallion Redoute's Choice in the spring.

Meanwhile Cambridge jockey Lynsey Hofmann only suffered bruising in the dramatic fall from Richter Pass.

Hofmann was taken to Caloundra Hospital in a neck brace after the fall, but was not admitted.

The news was not so good for the Alan Jones-trained Richter Pass who had to be put down after smashing her shoulder at the 800m mark.

- NZPA