A clash between the in-form Appearance and Kiwi super star It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on Saturday won’t eventuate.
Appearance to miss the Chipping Norton Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Guy Walter was forced to scrap plans to run Appearance in the weight for age contest after the mare suffered from a ‘tying up’ problem.
The Warwick Farm trainer said that the three time Group 1 winning mare will recover quickly from the muscle soreness and be right to continue her Autumn Carnival campaign at Randwick the following week in the Group 1 $500,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
“It is only temporary. I’m just not 100 per cent happy with her,” Walter told AAP.
“She had a little bit of a tying up episode and it wouldn’t be a good idea to be running her over 1600 metres this week.
“Instead she will go to the Canterbury Stakes a week later, the George Ryder, the Doncaster and then the Queen Of The Turf again.”
Appearance returned from a spell in outstanding form with a win in the Group 2 $200,000 WFA SCSI Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 8 followed by a win in the Group 2 $250,000 WFA Schweppes Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 22.
Walter is looking to give the Commands five year old her chance of winning back to back Group 1 $1m Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 19 and share in the increased prizemoney of the weight for age race for the fillies and mares.
The Queen Of The Turf Stakes has had a huge prizemoney boost as part of the revamped Sydney Autumn Carnival with last year’s $400,000 purse increased to $1 million and has been shifted from Rosehill to be run at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships”.
Walter has also planned to run Appearance in the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 29 and the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 12.
Appearance has been allocated 55.5kg for the Doncaster Mile, up 2kgs on the weight she carried last year when seventh to Sacred Falls, but she has won twice at Group 2 level since.
Stablemate Streama, who will follow a similar Autumn program as Appearance, is also up in the weights for the Doncaster Mile and will carry 55kg, up 1.5kg on her fourth last year after winning the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in the Spring.
While Toydini, also from the Walter stable, has been allocated 54.5kg, up half a kilo on the weight he carried when third to Boban in the Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick in October.
The Chipping Norton Stakes has attracted twelve entries with the Australian Turf Club extending nominations until 11AM on Tuesday.
