Racing: Randwick travel plans disrupted

Rain destroyed Envoy's plans to travel to Sydney last night and the same rules apply about his chances of seeing Ellerslie on Saturday.

The confirmed dry-tracker will run in the $40,000 Remuera Cup only if very little of the predicted substantial rain eventuates.

Matamata trainer Ken Kelso said with only one race planned on the Sydney trip - Saturday's A$300,000 Chairman's Handicap - it was silly to put Envoy on last night's flight when two days of rain had already reduced the Randwick track to heavy.

"I made phone calls and no one over there felt the track could get back to dead [easy], so I couldn't take the punt."

Kelso said he would aim Envoy at the only staying feature left this autumn, the Hawkes Bay Cup.

"If he misses going to Ellerslie on Saturday there are other races he can prepare for the Hawkes Bay Cup in." Hayden Tinsley will ride Envoy.

Fellow Matamata galloper Octapussy should prove difficult to beat. She did not get too many favours when held up for a run in the home straight in the group one Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha and before that finished fourth in the group one International Stakes.

A bit of rain would not greatly undermine her chances.

Her trainer Graham Richardson is disappointed British Ensign drew barrier No 18 in the Easter Handicap, a race Richardson has targeted since transferring the horse from his Melbourne stable.

"Our only option is to ride him for luck. We drew the outside barrier last year [Rodrigo Rose] and flew home to run second."