KEY POINTS:
Magic Cape will not run in next week's $200,000 Levin Classic at Otaki and Jokers Wild will. Provided the track is firm.
Trainer Shaune Ritchie pulled Magic Cape out of the group one race after working backwards on a programme to have the winner of Saturday's $300,000 2000 Guineas at peak for the $700,000 Mercedes Derby at Ellerslie in March.
"We identified two factors - for a start we don't think we can beat Jokers Wild over 1600m on a firm track.
"And, if the track was rain affected he would almost certainly have a hard race and it would work against our plan to have him at top for the Derby. We want to concentrate on the Derby and we won't waver from that."
Magic Cape has already been sent to Mapperley Stud for a spell.
On Saturday he got the better of Jokers Wild in the final 125m after the hot favourite had been in front for most of the Riccarton home straight.
Magic Cape edged past easily in the final strides, indicating he will be greatly suited when he steps up to a middle distance.
Moroney/Melton stable manager Paul Moroney said plans have been formulated to tackle next week's race.
"He stayed south after Saturday's race and will float north from Rangiora on Saturday. He'll be settled in to Otaki, have a run up on Tuesday morning and we'll wait to see what the track conditions are going to be."
Jokers Wild looked to have an extremely tough race on Saturday, but Moroney says the 3-year-old is showing no signs of it.
The 1000 Guineas winner Dorabella, locally trained at Otaki, is another prominent nomination along with emerging filly Ginella and Keep The Message.
* No response was yesterday received by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing from Christchurch solicitor Brian Kinley.
Kinley failed to attend a meeting in Christchurch last Friday convened by a subcommittee of the board of NZTR to answer questions relating to the Darci Brahma-Wahid drama surrounding the champion 3-Year-Old of the Year award.
Kinley chaired the three-person panel that changed the voted selection of Wahid to Darci Brahma.
After Friday's meeting was cancelled, the NZTR board gave Kinley until midday yesterday to respond to a list of questions.
* Top Waikato jockey Gary Grylls has retired.
Grylls, 44, had 1251 wins in a career spanning 28 years.
"I'd been thinking of it for a while," Grylls said. "I've only kept going to help [son] Craig get going. He's firing on all cylinders now and the time is right."
Grylls will switch his attention now to his Te Awamutu farm.
