Racing: Genebel's all tied up at the moment

Genebel has a muscle tie-up problem and it's not the sort of news rider Michael Coleman wants to hear.

Coleman was relying on the $600,000 SkyCity Auckland Cup to turn his luck around after missing the entire Derby Day at Ellerslie on Saturday with stomach flu.

And the high-profile Matamata jockey is nervous anyway after surprising a few by electing to ride Genebel ahead of Kerry O'Reilly in the Cup.

The Melbourne-based Genebel, a stylish winner at Ellerslie last start, tied up after Coleman rode her in her final strong gallop for the Cup at Matamata on Saturday morning.

New Zealand co-trainer Andrew Scott is walking Genebel several times a day to ease the lactic acid problem.

His partner Mike Moroney told the Herald from Melbourne yesterday that he was hopeful of still getting Genebel to the Auckland Cup.

"It's something that struck her here the day before the Bagot [Handicap] and she was unlucky not to win that.

"The next 24 hours will tell us how much worse the problem is this time.

"We are confident she's already fit enough and at this stage we believe we'll get her there.

"Xcellent had a little bit of the same trouble leading up to his Derby - it's something they do warm out of."

The Genebel camp can take heart that the world's richest race in 1983 was won by a horse that had been chronically tied-up the day before the race.

When Colin Jillings and co-owner Keith Haub took McGinty to the 1983 Japan Cup they observed the distress in the camp of the Irish mare Stanerra, who tied up badly days out from the race and had to be restricted to walking.

The Kiwis thought they'd spied at least one they didn't have to beat, but when Bobby Vance shot McGinty through a rails gap to the lead at the 350m in the Japan Cup he picked up in his peripheral vision a horse steaming down the outside, which proved to be Stanerra, who scored a dramatic victory.

Within 30 minutes of galloping Genebel on Saturday morning Coleman knew a stomach bug was going to prevent him being at Ellerslie.

"It wasn't good. It's a bug that's gone through the family and I was the last to get it. It's like that when you've got young kids."

Coleman said his decision to pick Genebel over Kerry O'Reilly was only partly stable loyalty [he rides Xcellent for the partners].

"I saw that Bagot Handicap performance in Melbourne on television and I thought she was desperately unlucky not to win it.

"I took a line through her Melbourne form and the three wins should read four.

"She showed enough acceleration at the end of her winning effort at Ellerslie recently to say she's a genuine chance.

"I know she beat nothing, but I liked the way she relaxed and the way she hit the line.

"I rate her a 2400m-up horse whereas I wouldn't say Kerry O'Reilly is a natural 3200m horse. Plus he's been up quite a long time."

You knew the stomach problem had disappeared when Coleman's phone went late yesterday morning - it was Zarius' Cup rider Michael Walker looking for a game of golf.

"I love taking Michael's money off him," said Coleman.