Racing: McCarroll figures out his next move

Cambridge trainer Ross McCarroll is considering moving to Melbourne temporarily to prepare Figure of Speech for the A$5.5 million Melbourne Cup.

McCarroll part owns and trains Figure of Speech and sent the veteran to Melbourne to former Cambridge trainer Brian Jenkins to be prepared for a Melbourne spring campaign.

Jenkins was on Tuesday suspended for three months and fined $5000 after being found guilty of improper conduct in that he punched and kicked fellow trainer Ray Mathews at the Cranbourne training centre in April.

In his second start for Jenkins, Figure Of Speech won A$93,000 in Melbourne then picked up another A$60,500 in winning the listed Heatherlie.

At his last start he was well beaten in the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday, but is now facing much more suitable races.

"I'm not sure what I'll do," said McCarroll."I heard about the verdict only yesterday."

* Melbourne mare Miss Maren looks close enough to a certain starter for the Kelt Capital.

It's understood Leith Innes was yesterday engaged to ride Miss Maren at Hastings on Saturday week.

Miss Maren, trained by Caulfield horseman Mick Price, was yesterday quoted at $11 in the futures market.

At her past three starts Miss Maren finished 11th behind Zarita on September 12 and before that was ninth to former New Zealander Figure of Speech and at her prior start won over 1600m on a dead surface at Caulfield.

* It will be a shame if the rain beats the Auckland Racing Club's big meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday. There were 18 winners accepted for the Soliloquy Stakes, which must be something of a modern-day record.

The Ellerslie track was last night in great shape, but the rain forecast for today would at least temporarily alter that if it eventuated.

"I can't remember nominations for these two stakes races [Soliloquy and Bonecrusher Stakes] like these ones," said ARC racing manager Andrew Castles.

* You have to congratulate jockeys for continuing to ride at Te Aroha yesterday. Steady rain and minimal visibility meant shocking conditions.

Matamata rider Michael Walker called it a day with a couple of races to run, citing dangerous visibility.

* If you want to get on Six O'Clock News in the Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney on Saturday week, seemingly everyone wants you on.

Until Tuesday, you could get $19 about the classy Cambridge stayer and $15 was still available last night.

Even the New Zealand TAB has Six O'Clock News at $13.

The Zabeel 5-year-old has come up remarkably well this campaign.