BERNBOROUGH OUT OF THE MELBOURNE CUP

Chronicle (Levin), 29 October 1946, Page 7

BERNBOROUGH OUT OF THE MELBOURNE CUP

U ' AFRAID OF ENDING HORSE'S CAREER. 'Eeeeived Monday,- 11.40 p.in. MELBOURNE, Oet. 28. , Bernborough is not to start in . the Melbourne Cup. The horse was scratehed this morning. , „ After the owner, Mr. A. C/ Romano, left the d.eeision to his. . trainer, Mr. Plant,. the latter deeided. it would.be asking too much of the. champion to attempt to win the cup with 10,9 Hp. decided to reserve him, for weight for age races. His nex.t start will b.e the L. -K. S. Mackiuiion Stakes on Derby Day. • " > Mr. Plant stated he had to decide be tween a desire to win the cup for his owner and have the. hopse for another season's raeing. Mr. Plant said BernDorough might win the cup with., 10.9 but the efi'ort would probably end 'hi§ racing career. Mf: Plant said the owner himself had reeeived nearly 200 letters from horse. lovers in Australia asking not to start Bernborough in the cup uuder a crushing weight. Although overtures were made to Mr. Plant to keep Bernborough in training, he said that after three weight for age races and tlie- V.R.G. - Spring Meeting, the horse would be spelled for about six weeks. ' He would then. be returned to work and prepared for the Wt. Georges Stakes at Caulfield in February.

A. Mulley, the jockey who has ridden Bernborough in all previous engagements, will be replaced by the QueensLand jockey, W. Briscoe, who had remarkable success as a jockey in Queensland. Eecently he has shown his abilLty in the saddle at Gydney and Melbourne. He has previously ridden successfully for Mr. Plant. The reason given for the change in jockeys is that Mulley had to return to Bydney and the horse 's future races would be run iu Melbourne. Briscoe has ridden Bernborough iu work at Melbourne before coming south. Briscoe said today he did not know his connection with the cohtcmplated cliange of jockeys untn Mr. Plant asked him to ride the horse. Briscoe said it was bad luck for Mulley but oue would be foolish to rcfuse to ride ou the best. Briscoe had a very suceessful seasou lliis. spring. He rode eiglit winners at Bydney includiug the Hobarlviile Stakes, and Rosehill Guineas ou Prince Standard. He rides the colt Victoria in the Derby on Saturday. He also rides Mr. Plant 's two-year-olds Lady Ajax and Caruso in Flemington engagements. With the scralching of Bernborough the popuiar choice for the Melbourne Cup is now Gordale wliose form in the Valley Cup was very impressive. Mouinoutli, On Targel, lvnockarlow,. Magn-f-ficeiit and Spam arp othor prominent cup" caudidates. Spam. was the winner of the Irish St. Leger and Cesarewiteli last year and lias made many frieuds for the Cup by his good fiuishing eii'ort in Ihe Moonce \'alley Cup. Last at the half-mile, he made up considerable grouiul to finish not. far behind the placed liorses. Most facegoers, however, consider Cordale t litpre impressive in .pej-fprmance TtQnr 4)he- Cup viewpoint.. " Sir Actor, wlio entered Cup calculations following. his 'win in. Ihe Herbert Power handicap at Caulfield, will not start in the Melbourne Cup:- His injured leg has not improvcd and the trainer has decided rather than risk a complete brea'kdown, he will scratcli the horse. The New Zealand mare, First In, a popuiar fancy for the Melbourne Cup, is giviug lier trainer, jMa,'- J- Acolla, sonie trouble. Although? &hort actioned she worked usefully over two miles at Mentone today. Eiforts-are being made to get her to' the post at the Cup. If Flying Duke wins the Derby, Cook will ride the colt iu the Melbourne Cup. If he loses he will ride Spam. Gilmore is the likelv rider for Spam if Cook rides Flying iluke. E. Fordyce rides Leonard and H. Badger Monmouth, stable companion to Flying, Duke. Monmouth impressed with a fmishing efi'ort to run second to Leonard in the divisiou of the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Valcurl is rehandicapped 41b to 8.13, for the Valley Cup win, in the Melbourne Cup. He is said to be a certain starter again ridden by V. Hartney. Carey, second in the Valley Cup, will also start. Carey is oue of the unluckiest horses this spring. Ilis owner expressed confidencc he will be hard to beat in the Melbourne Cup. i