Racing: Small leaves Queensland in disgust

Champion New Zealand trainer Geoff Small has abandoned Winforu's assault on the Queensland pacing triple crown in disgust.

Small was aiming to tackle all three races of the new series with the Interdominion finalist until a shock decision by Queensland harness racing officials yesterday left him shaking his head.

They eliminated Winforu from the A$125,000 ($134,000) Queensland Pacing Championship on Saturday night in favour of lesser-performed Australian pacers.

And in an insult to the former Great Northern Derby winner, they placed him in a lowly A$11,000 support race.

"I am so angry I am just going to get him out of there as soon as possible and try and concentrate on other races," said Small.

"This was the race we were really aiming for, with the preferential draw and I am sure he could have won it.

"I know it is hard for any club to guarantee you a start in these sort of races but we were told he was very likely to get a run."

Small's disappointment is understandable as Winforu's career performances are better than at least three of the Australians who made the field.

One of the locals who was gifted a start, Home Of Jack, hasn't even earned A$100,000 in a 41-start career, compared with Winforu's earnings of over $280,000 in as many starts. Home Of Jack wasn't rated good enough to make the field for last Friday's Gold Coast Cup, a race in which Winforu was a close-up sixth.

Another Queenslander to get a start, Romeo's Legend, is well known to Kiwi punters as finishing second in the Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park last season before finishing four lengths behind Winforu in the New Zealand Messenger.

But he couldn't even win in poor company at Albion Park last Saturday.

And maybe the biggest insult to Small is Dinki Di getting a start, even though he has won just two of his last 18 starts and earned a paltry A$30,363.

The mistake once again highlights the poor field selection abilities of the smaller harness racing clubs and state bodies in Australia, many of whose staff have little or no knowledge of New Zealand horses.

While fuming, Small has not given up on the Australian campaign, instead moving Winforu to Victoria, whose harness racing officials have a far more realistic grip on the merits of New Zealand form.

"He might even start in the Kilmore Cup on Sunday if he travels south well but failing that we will look at races like the Legends Mile at Moonee Valley," said Small.

And while Winforu may not be in the same class as Small's all-conquering retired champion Elsu, he could still be very much in the frame for a Miracle Mile invite.

Harold Park officials are casting their Miracle Mile net wider than usual this season because of a lack of depth in the Australian open class ranks and the fact the A$500,000 race doesn't fit into the plans of Kiwi pacers like Just An Excuse, Mi Muchacho and Alta Serena.

"We have a very long list of possible Miracle Mile horses at the moment and several of them are Kiwis," said Harold Park boss John Dumesny.

"Form from races like the Legends Mile, Newcastle Mile and our preludes here will be crucial and we would love to have some New Zealand horses in the race because they are so much a part of the Miracle Mile."

* The two Kiwi pacers who did make the QPC field, Jagged Account and Sly Flyin, have both drawn the front line.