Top Australian stayers out of Auckland Cup

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 39

Top Australian stayers out of Auckland Cup

PA Wellington The Australian-trained stayers, Kensei and Apollo Run, have defected from the $500,000 Auckland Cup on January 2. They were among the leading nominees for the Ellerslie feature — Kensei was topweight with 57kg — but are to be set for other races.

Kensei, last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, will be transferred from the Randwick trainer, Les Bridge, to former New Zealander, Neville Mcßurney, who trains at Wyong. Mcßurney said the Blarney Kiss gelding, which has been turned out since his disappointing tenth in last month’s Melbourne Cup, would miss the Auckland Cup and be

prepared instead for the Sydney Cup or a Brisbane winter campaign to culminate with a tilt at the sAust32s,ooo Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on June 12. “But he will not run in both the Sydney and Brisbane Cups,” Mcßurney said.

Mcßurney prepares the New Zealand-owned Lord Hybrow, the winner of this year’s Doomben and Brisbane Cups which has been turned out since his ninth in the Sandown Cup on November 12.

Apollo Run, a gallant fourth after being galloped on in the Melbourne Cup, has only just resumed work with the Mornington (Victoria) trainer, Colin Alderson. The Gay Apollo gelding, which is 40 per cent

owned by the Cambridge trainer, Alan Jones, has had a setback. -

“He has swollen glands under his jaw,” Jones said. "Colin has him on anti-biotics and therefore can’t do too much with him. He should come right soon.” Jones has informed the Auckland Racing Club that Apollo Run will not run in the Auckland Cup. “Colin is looking at the Sydney Cup instead,” Jones said. Two other Australian entries for the Auckland Cup, the former outstanding New Zealand performers, Secret Seal and Flight Bijou, will also not be among the first acceptors today. They have both been taken out of training.