Tests to determine fate of Warwick Farm - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Tests to determine fate of Warwick Farm

By Mandy Cottell 07/09/2007 06:23:42 PM Comments (0)

Racing officials may have to wait until Saturday morning to get the final seal of approval for the in-house meeting at Warwick Farm to go ahead.

More than 130 horses entered for the 10-race program were tested for equine influenza (EI) as part of the Department of Primary Industries' (DPI) protocols.

Chief steward Ray Murrihy was still awaiting the results late on Friday but hoped they would come through overnight or early Saturday morning.

The meeting will go ahead provided every horse tested returns negative results to EI.

The Guy Walter-trained Vionneto is an early scratching from the Chanteclair Hcp (1200m) due to an elevated temperature and Murrihy confirmed the gelding had also been swabbed.

One person with a good reason to smile amid the devastation of the EI crisis is Warwick Farm trainer Paul Cave.

The popular Irishman became a father for the first time last week when his wife Martha gave birth to a baby boy, Toller Henry, a name taken from past generations of the Cave family.

A thrilled Cave said mother and baby were doing well and he is hoping his team of six at Warwick Farm can follow suit.

Sprinting find German Chocolate heads Cave's assault.

The Missile and Premiere Stakes winner was being prepared for the Epsom Handicap but with Sydney's spring carnival lost due to EI he will step out in Saturday's Chanteclair Hcp against Group-winning stablemate The Free Stater.

Cave said he was bitterly disappointed the pair would almost certainly be unable to contest any Group races this spring but was happy at the chance to race them.

"You don't make any money sitting on the sidelines so it's great," Cave said.

"I just hope they back it up with another one next week."

German Chocolate and The Free Stater will face some tough opposition from the likes of the Guy Walter-trained pair of Fighting Fund and Bobadah along with Shaft, Danzippo and Spinners' Magic from the John Hawkes yard.

Cave said he favoured German Chocolate slightly over his stablemate as The Free Stater was resuming.

"German Chocolate is hard fit, I couldn't have him any fitter," Cave said.

"He hasn't done a lot of galloping but he never does. He mainly does pace work and he's very clean-winded. I couldn't be happier with him.

"I would be taking The Free Stater to Melbourne if I could get him down there."

Cave's other runners include stayer Respect and smart mare Grey Stream in the Phillip Quality Hcp (1400m,) which also boasts Group One winners Mentality, Fiumicino, Rena's Lady and Camarilla.

The Warwick Farm track was rated in the slow range and Cave said that would suit Grey Stream who is proven in the ground.

"The mare is a chance if the track stays wet," Cave said.

"Respect will probably find it too short but he did trial at Hawkesbury the other week and he led them up over 1000 metres."

Cave's other runners are Another Speights in the Swiftly Carson Maiden and Taken At The Flood in the Sir Dapper Hcp, both over 1600 metres.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

0 Comments about this article

Post a comment about this article

Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.

« All sports news