No Melbourne penalty for Ming Dynasty

Press, 21 October 1980, Page 32

No Melbourne penalty for Ming Dynasty

NZ p A Melbourne Mina Dvnastv, which won his second Caulfield Cup last Saturday, has escaped a penalty for the $310,000 Melbourne Cup on November 4.

Mr Jit. Bowier, the Victoria Racing ' Club handicapper, backed his judgment that Ming Dynasty “is not a genuine 3200 m horse” in a controversial decision yesterday. Ming Dynasty was eligible for a penalty of up to 4.5 kg after his’ win, which followed his 1977 success. , “A handicapper has to be a man of judgment in my view, not a machine,” Mr Bowler said-

He said he had been.guided by Mjng Dynasty’s three failures at 3200 m when he was in his prime as a four-year-old in the 1977-78 season.' • ‘

“After winning-- 1 the Caulfield Cup he finished eighth in Gold and Black’s Melbourne Cup, fifth to My Cjbd Man in the Sydney Cup and second to Muros in an inferior Brisbane' Cup field,” the handicapper said. So Ming Dynasty will line up at Flemington with 58kg, the same weight as he carried with ease at Caulfield last Saturday. The grey (he is turning white with age) took his

earnings to $545,865 in his seventieth start.

Meanwhile, Hypemo has filling in his near foreleg after a rough run in the CaJfield Cup. Hypemo spread the off forepiate in the race but he finished . hongly for second. His trainer, "Bart” Cummings said he was not concerned about the swelling. : i “Hyperno will be given a couple of days off and I expect to work him along a little at Flemington on Thursday,” said Cummings, who has trained a record five Caulfield Cup winners.

Hyperno has been shod in a special built-up shoe to relieve pressu e on his off foreleg. A small section of the hoof came away with the buckled plate. Bren Thomson will be fit to ride in the Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup.

Thomson, injured in a fall from Advance Party on Caulfield Guineas Day, has made a swift' recovery from a fractured bone in his right heel.

John Miller was dis-

appointed yesterday that he would miss the Cup ride on Yashmak, which registered an outstanding performance when fifth in the Caulfield

Cup. . " Milelr told the trainer, Colin Hayes, after the race: “Yashmak will win the Mel-' bourne Cup given ordinary luck.” Mill-', who won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double on Galilee in 1966, will switch to Arwon at Flemington. Arwon won the 1978 Melbourne Cup and indicated that he is getting back to form with a strong finishing sixth to Hyperno in the Caulfield Stakes on October 11. - . Miller will ride Arwon in either the Geelong Cup dr the Moonee Valley Cup,

i whichever race the trainer, i George Hanlon, decides. I The’Geelong Cup will ! be run tomorrow, three days I earlier than the Moonee Val-

iev race. "Bob Skelton has. been engaged for Beldale Ball in the Melbourne Cup now that Our Equilogue will not run. Wayne Treloar will ride Reckon I’m Ready, an unlucky runner at Caulfield last Saturday, in the Geelong Cup. Regimental Honour broke down in the nearside foreleg in the Caulfield Cup and will go out for a long spell. Terry Millard is considering by-passing . the Melbourne Cup with Waitangirua, which was balloted out of the Caulfield Cup. He will set the chestnut for the Perth Cup.