KEY POINTS:
The much awaited debut of classy juvenile Murphy did not happen at Taupo yesterday and he may even be directed away from the $1 million Karaka Million.
Cambridge trainer Anne Herbert said she and husband Wayne, who own Murphy between them, felt they might have been pushing the youngster a little too hard to be ready for the Karaka Million.
"He may still get to the race, but he's less of a chance of being there than he was a little time back."
Murphy has stylishly won all three of his barrier trials.
The two juvenile races at Taupo were won by Tell A Tale, a Tale Of The Cat gelding trained by Murray Baker and Noble Manor, a Stravinsky-Sarwatch gelding with Mark Walker.
Both hit the line strongly from just off the pace and look talented types.
Debut runner Elusive Lady was a late scratching at the start of the first of the races after becoming very unsettled in the barriers and in the second event Onesong was withdrawn after bolting away from the start riderless and Sandtaine was withdrawn for refusing to enter the starting stalls.
Interestingly, the TAB revealed that had Michael Walker been forced to withdraw from riding because of a damaged toe at Ellerslie on Saturday he would have been left as favourite for the Hot Holiday Jocks' series.
But Walker, after pulling out late at Ellerslie on Saturday, rode at Taupo yesterday and will be at Stratford today and Ellerslie tomorrow.
Walker picked up a winning treble at Taupo to sit on 12 winners for the series and David Walsh rode a double at Omakau to go to eight.
"We've knocked everyone else out and made it a head-to-head competition between Walker and Walsh," said TAB bookie Thad Taylor.
"In the morning we'll open up Walker at $1.10 and Walsh at $6.
"The only difference is that people won't be able to multi that competition into other bets."
