Racing: Keep The Peace stays home

Keep The Peace (right) holds off Wall Street to win the Mudgway last month. The pair meet again in Hastings this Saturday. Photo / APN

A stroll down Foxton Beach yesterday afternoon was a little different to what Keep The Peace was meant to be doing.

The plan all along was for the talented mare to be gazing out across the expanse of Flemington yesterday, getting ready for Sunday's Turnbull Stakes (transferred from Saturday because of the AFL grand final replay).

But trainer Shaune Ritchie pulled her off Sunday's flight to Melbourne when the chance of getting into the Turnbull suddenly looked remote.

Instead Keep The Peace will yet again go head to head against Wall Street in Saturday's $250,000 Spring Classic at Hastings.

"I can't believe how suddenly the Turnbull got to be a bigger, stronger race, obviously everyone is scared of clashing with So You Think in the Yalumba and they're running instead in the Turnbull," said Ritchie.

But the A$2 million Caulfield Cup remains if, once again, Keep The Peace can sneak into the field. "If she looks like getting in at the bottom of the Caulfield Cup and runs well on Saturday then we'll definitely still go over and even if she doesn't make the Cup there are plenty of options for her like the Matriarch Stakes on the final day which is a A$300,000 race over 2000m for mares only.

"But I'm keen to know if she's good enough to measure up to the spring horses in Melbourne, so I'm looking forward to getting her there."

Ritchie made a snap decision to finish off Keep The Peace's Spring Classic preparation at Foxton instead of at home in Cambridge.

"She worked only fairly at Cambridge on Saturday morning and I think she's just sick of running around and training on testing surfaces. "She thrives on a beach environment."

In case you were wondering, a $1 all-up on the six Pick6 leg winners at Ellerslie on Saturday would have got you $597,060. But, of course, it's a completely different type of bet and no one would have picked those six winners straight with a single pick in each race.

Reports from Hastings are that the track there for Saturday's big meeting is currently a good 3.

Rain is forecast for Thursday and club officials say if it doesn't arrive they will be forced to irrigate.

Perhaps a firm surface? Finally.

Windsor Park Plate winner Wall Street is the $2.80 favourite with the TAB ahead of Keep The Peace at $4.20.

The remainder of the market: $6 Vosne Romanee, Ginga Dude, $8 Veloce Bella, $10 The Hombre, $15 My Keepsake, $18 Time Keeper, $26 Illuminates, $31 Hold It Harvey, Elblitzem, $81 Bruce Almighty, Seaflyte, St Germaine.

Former South African jockey Glen Scofield has been engaged for Cambridge galloper Firebolt in Saturday's Epsom Handicap.

Firebolt was a stunning winner in Sydney after sitting three wide throughout two weeks ago. The field is falling away at the top of the market and yesterday with Australian betting outlets Firebolt was either third favourite or joint second favourite.