By MIKE DILLON
John Ralph originally had no intention of running The Message in tomorrow's $40,000 Wanganui Stakes.
That was before rider Linda Ballantyne was injured leaving the barriers in last week's Mudgway Partsworld Stakes, in effect leaving the Foxbridge Plate winner without a pilot.
Ballantyne lost a stirrup iron as well as banging her arm and shoulder and was unable to prevent The Message sitting wide in midfield and travelling even wider on the home bend.
"I was gutted, but at least there was a reason," said Ralph yesterday.
"The reason I'm running him in this race is because he didn't really have an outing last week.
"Afterwards I couldn't contain him - he wanted to go out and have another race.
"I've had his blood done and he's spot on, so he may as well race because there is two weeks after that to Hastings again."
The Message is heading to Melbourne on October 9 to contest the Cox Plate with either the Caulfield Cup or the Yalumba Stakes as a lead-up.
If he is to be a threat in any of those races he should win tomorrow. He would need only to produce a run remotely similar to winning the Foxbridge Plate to take the race.
The Message will be ridden for the first time by Central Districts jockey Jim Walker. Ballantyne had no idea Ralph was thinking about Wanganui and took rides for Tauranga.
Penny Arcade chased The Message home in the Foxbridge Plate and although eight lengths away, it was a sound effort.
Goldbrearne led and was taken on a long way out in the Foxbridge Plate and he may be more difficult to pull back here with a softer lead.
Cent Home has been withdrawn from Saturday night's flight to Melbourne to continue his $A2 million Caulfield Cup build-up.
Trainer Jim Wallace has decided to keep Cent Home in New Zealand and run in the $100,000 Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes and $250,000 Kelt Capital Stakes.
Cent Home was to have run in the $A250,000 Craiglee Stakes at Flemington tomorrow week.
"He had a harder race to win the Mudgway Stakes last week than I would have liked and I want him to have three weeks between races," said Wallace yesterday .
"The races in Melbourne don't fit the pattern if I give him the three weeks between races.
"It would mean I could only give him two more races before the Caulfield Cup, whereas if I race him in the two Hastings races I still have the option of running in the Yalumba Stakes the week before the Caulfield Cup if I feel he needs it."
The Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes is on September 16 and the Kelt two weeks later on the 30th.
The huge winner in the decision is Hawkes Bay Racing Inc.
"It's great that we're getting the chance to say thanks to the Hawkes Bay club for giving us a run in the Kelt last year when they used their discretionary powers to put us in the field.
"Also, our stud is local and we're always aware of that, but the main reason is that I want the three weeks between races."
Wallace says he blames no one but Cent Home for making it hard on himself in the Mudgway Stakes.
"He came to the end of his run a 100m out and he decided to still get up and win, so it's his own fault."
Racing: Walker gets the message after mix-up
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