KEY POINTS:
Waikato trainer Ralph Manning has pulled the pin on Seachange's autumn campaign and will send his star mare to the spelling paddock immediately.
Seachange was nominated for Saturday's Sandown meeting but Manning didn't pay the acceptance fee yesterday after her trackwork was below its usual best at Kyneton, outside Melbourne.
She will fly home on Sunday, as originally scheduled, and be set for the Hawkes Bay spring features and possibly the Cox Plate.
"She wasn't herself this morning, didn't show as much life as usual. I think the hard runs have taken their toll," Manning said yesterday.
Seachange was to contest either the group two A$350,000 ($402,000) Blamey Stakes (1600m) for 3-year-olds and upwards, or the group three A$200,000 Matron Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares.
She worked well at Sandown on Tuesday morning and all seemed on track for Saturday.
"It's not a big worry. She's had hard runs and we don't want to run her just for the sake of it. The old saying is 'if in doubt, pull them out'."
The Cape Cross 4-year-old proved herself to be one of Australasia's top mares in three Melbourne runs at Caulfield this campaign.
She finished a close fifth in the group one CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, won the group three Mannerism Stakes (1400m) for mares, then was second to Aqua D'Amore in the group one A$700,000 Futurity Stakes (1600m) at weight-for-age on March 3. Her career earnings have nuged past A$800,000.
Manning hadn't sat down with Seachange's owners to map out a spring campaign but said Hawkes Bay was the most likely.
The rich weight-for-age Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in October is the ultimate goal.
"If she comes up to her form again that'll be the target," Manning said.
- NZPA
