Ethiopia will dodge the Turnbull for Cummings
Owner Trevor Delroy and trainer Pat Carey have identified the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday as the best option to help Ethiopia qualify for a third Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Connections had pencilled in Saturday's $500,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) for the Australian Derby winner's return to Melbourne, but decided the Bart Cummings was a more suitable assignment.
Ethiopia finished eighth as the 61.5kg topweight to Ram Jam in last month's Coolgardie Cup (1760m), having had five months' recovery from injury at Delroy's Wyadup Farm near Yallingup.
Ethiopia arrived back at Carey's Mornington stables three weeks ago.
Race rider Rhys McLeod rode the lightly-raced six-year-old in a 1550m Cranbourne trial last Monday.
"We discussed it and we felt it was the best race for him at this stage," Carey said.
"He had a nice trial here at Cranbourne where he went well and pulled up very well.
"He's had an extensive preparation in the west and, take the run at Kalgoorlie out of the equation, he's done a lot of work and is very forward in condition.
"He is unqualified for the Melbourne Cup at this stage.
"What is more important than anything is getting the horse back into competitive form."
- Three-times Group 1-winning jockey Steven Parnham will attend a wedding in Esperance and miss Saturday's Birthday Stakes meeting at Belmont Park.
Parnham sustained bruising in a fall from Marmaa at the start of the second race at Belmont last Saturday.
"I can't ride this week and I won't be here on the weekend," he said yesterday. "So I suppose I will be back next week."
