KEY POINTS:
The million-dollar sale of classy 3-year-old Magic Cape to Hong Kong has fallen through.
Late last week the New Zealand owners of Magic Cape agreed to sell the 2000 Guineas winner for $1 million, the deal for the prospective Hong Kong buyer being subject only to a successful veterinary examination.
After a searching raft of tests, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's New Zealand veterinarian Murray Brightwell could find nothing in Magic Cape that would preclude a sale.
But early yesterday Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie received a call from the Hong Kong agent handling the sale who said the would-be buyer was backing away from the deal.
Ritchie, who owns 20 per cent of Magic Cape, was philosophical.
"The second prize in this is that we've got the favourite for a $750,000 Derby - that's not the worst result."
One of the senior syndicate owners is pleased with the result - he had never been keen to sell - but went with the majority vote.
Magic Cape has not raced since beating the favourite Jokers Wild in the $300,000 2000 Guineas at Riccarton last month.
"We've been working him right through in anticipation of something like this happening, simply because it does happen," says Ritchie.
"So we're right on track to aim him at the Derby."
The $750,000 Mercedes Derby is run at Ellerslie on March 3 and Magic Cape is the $6 favourite on the TAB's futures market.
Ritchie said he would step Magic Cape out next in the 1600m Wellington Stakes at Trentham next month.
"The Derby is only six weeks after that, so he'll have only the two runs going into it.
"Where he has the second start depends on how he comes out of the Wellington race."
It puts a lot of pressure on a trainer when big money is either turned down by owners or a sale falls through.
"If we can win the money and have the fun as well then that's the best result," said Ritchie. "If."
* Mettre En Jeu has been tightened in to $10 for the Derby after his dashing runaway win in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance at Ellerslie on Sunday.
He is $4.50 second favourite for the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie next week.
* Twenty-one-year-old Samantha Spratt returns to race riding at Te Rapa on Saturday after a retirement lasting nearly 3 1/2 years.
She had earlier suffered a bad fall at Trentham.
Spratt will serve the remainder of her apprenticeship with trainer Richard Yuill.
