Track's in good nick...Moonee Valley has a dead 5 rating for Friday night's Manikato Stakes meeting. Track boss Marty Synan says a penetrometer reading of 4.85 was taken at 6:30am .He says: 'We had four horses go around on it and they hardly marked the track...I thought they might have got into it a little bit but you wouldn't even know they galloped on it.' Latest betting on the Grp 1 Manikato Stakes sees Nicconi at 3/1, Mic Mac 7/2, Lucky Secret 15/4 and Apache Cat 6/1. The Grp 2 Stutt Stakes market has Carrara a hot fav at 4/5 ($1.80) ahead of Extra Zero and Star Scream, both at 15/2.

Night racing's back at Moonee Valley and there's a key race on the card as far as the Caulfield Cup is concerned. Three of the 18 acceptors for the JRA Cup - Kibbutz, Britomart and Leica Ding - can pass the elimination clause for the CC with a win, although still well down the entry order. It would need a huge performance to cop a penalty from handicapper Greg Carpenter. Sat's $100,000 Ansett Classic at Mornington also offers two horses the chance to pass the CC elimination clause....2007 VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss (65th in order) and Lady Avacan (equal 66th) must win in order to remain in contention for a CCstart.

Australian Horse of the Year Scenic Blast finally bade farewell to British shores on Tuesday morning when flying out of Cambridge airport en route to the latest leg of the Global Sprint Challenge in Tokyo. Dan Morton's speedster, who has spent the summer in Newmarket, won the Grp 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and will land a $1million (£610,000) bonus if he can land the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on Sunday week. Jane George,of the International Racing Bureau, says: 'Scenic Blast flew out of Cambridge on Tuesday morning...It made sense for him to be prepared for Japan from Britain as they have a 30-day quarantine for horses arriving from Australia." After Japan, Scenic Blast is then expected to journey to Hong Kong for a further leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

Damien Oliver has given up chasing the Caulfield Cup ride on well-fancied Vigor. Instead, he's been booked to ride Cima De Triomphe for Luca Cumani. Oliver's manager Mark Van Triet and Cumani were in contact via email before Cumani confirmed Oliver as the CC jockey for the Italian Group I winner. Oliver relinquished the Vigor ride when he realised he would not be able to make its 51kgs weight. Cima de Triomphe is currently at 14/1 for the CC, while Vigor is favorite at 9/2.

Early betting moves for Randwick on Saturday (via TAB Sportsnbet):

R1 DULCIFY QUALITY

Flying Spin $16 - $10 inc $600 @ $16, $500 e/w @ $14

R2 STAN FOX

Denman $1.60 - $1.50 All but $59 has been invested on Denman (biggest bet $5000 @ $1.60)

Denman/Madame Pedrille double $6000 @ $2.70

R5 BILL RITCHIE

Sound Of Nature $10 - $4.80 fav inc $1500 e/w @ $10, $1000 @ $8, $2000 and $1000 @ $6.50, $500 e/w @ $5.50 (twice)
Walking Or Dancing $12 - $9 inc $1000 @ $12

Faulconbridge/Faulconbridge (Epsom) double $1000 @ $102.48

R6 GEORGE MAIN

Racing To Win $4000 and $2000 @ $1.90
Black Piranha $1000 @ $6, $1000 @ $5
Rock Kingdom $500 @ $9.50

Racing to Win/Denman double $6000 @ $2.85 and $2000 @ $3.04

R7 COLIN STEPHEN

Absent Friends $700 @ $11

Can tough-as-nails Black Piranha have another brilliant campaign? It's one of racing's big spring questions. Jockey Tye Angland is warning punters not to underestimate the Cox Plate-bound BP in Sat's class-packed George Main Stakes at Randwick. The Con Karakatsanis-trained gelding was tremendous last campaign, winning the Stradbroke Handicap and he returned with a great 2nd to Absolutelyfabulous in the Cameron at Newcastle, carrying 60kgs. Tye says: 'I'm confident he'll run a fine race...He hasn't let us down so far.' BP is among 10 acceptors for the Grp 1 feature. He faces a pitched battle with superstars Racing To Win, Mentality, and Vision And Power.

Black Piranha was at $5 when TAB Sportsbet released markets on the George Main on Wednesday, with Racing To Win, winner of the race three years ago, the $1.90 fav ahead of the only 3YO in the race, Onemorenomore, winner of the Grp 1 Champagne Stakes over the track and distance in the autumn, at $4.60.

Sat's Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick has attracted only 5 runners. The Grp 2 race is dominated by the Peter Snowden-trained hotshot Denman. Glenn Munsie of TAB Sportsbet says: 'As soon as we put up $1.60 about Denman, the money came for him...One bloke sent me an email and said 'who do you think you are putting up $1.60 [about] Denman, are you Father Christmas?''

Michael Rodd will miss the ride on Maldivian in Sat week's Grp 1 Turnbull Stakes after copping a suspension at Betfair Park Sandown on Wednesday. Rodd admitted causing interference on 2nd placegetter Unapred in the Grand Cidium Handicap (1550m). Unapred hampered Damien Oliver aboard fourth placegetter Port Vell. Rodd says he will not appeal. He says: 'I've got nothing to base an appeal on...It would be insulting to the stewards who have already done me a favor by taking some meetings off my penalty.'

A whiff of sanity has entered the whip rules crisis...There's been yet another change, and this time it's a good one with jockeys now given discretion to use the whip over the final 100m of a race. But the decision only points up the stupidity of the original decision to restrict whip use and then the second decision to have a count of 7...The crisis that never should have been is now defused, though racing's image has taken a battering.

This latest backflip by the Australian Racing Board means very simply that it has rightly bowed to industry and public pressure. Faced with overwhelming opposition to its hotchpot of 'count the whip strokes' the ARB now agrees to giving jockeys what they want and need -- the right to unlimited though not excessive use of the whip in the final 100m. Basically, we are back where we started, before the crisis was brought to life by the Board in its desire to appease a few hardline extremists in the 'cruelty to animals' groups. The new rules that will be trialled until February 1 break a race into two stages, before the 100-metre mark and the 100-metre mark to the winning post. Jockeys will only be allowed to use the whip five times and not in consecutive strides before the final 100 metres of a race. Over the final 100 metres, jockeys are permitted to exercise discretion in their use of the whip.

Racing To Win at odds-on...That's how the early market assessed the Geo Main Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. TAB Sportsbet has RTW at $1.90 (9/10) ahead of Onemorenomore $4.60 (appx 7/2). The market:

RACING TO WIN 1.90
ONEMORENOMORE 4.60
BLACK PIRANHA 5.00
ROCK KINGDOM 9.50
VISION AND POWER 12.00
COURT COMMAND 15.00
ROAD TO ROCK 31.00
MENTALITY 41.00
CAPE BRETON 151.00
NEWPORT 151.00

**1ST BET $1000 @ $5 ON BLACK PIRANHA

Smart speedster Nicconi is a narrow early fav over Mic Mac for Friday's Manikato Stks 1200m (Grp 1) at Moonee Valley. TAB Sportsbet lists Nicconi at $4.20 with Mac Mac at $4.40, then Lucky Secret $4.80 and Apache Cat easy at $7.50.

Not so bad...Corey Brown had a small win over those new whip rules yesterday. On appeal, he had four meetings cut from suspension incurred for twice breaching the rules at the Wyong Cup meeting on Sep 4. Brown can now ride at Randwick's George Main Stakes meeting on Saturday.

After 2nd decs on Tuesday, 5 international gallopers remain as contenders for a Caulfield Cup start. Three of them, Crime Scene, Kirklees and Sugar, are from the Godolphin stable, which won the race last year with All The Good. Luca Cumani paid up for Basaltico and Cima De Triomphe. There are now 85 horses left in the Caulfield Cup, to be run on Oct 17.

The whip rule madness continues...Now there are fears that a relegation rule will be introduced. Trainer Anthony Cummings raised that spectre after addressing a panel chaired by Australian Racing Board director and Racing Victoria chairman Michael Duffy heard submissions on penalties for overuse of the whip. Cummings Jnr says: 'There was no response to what we said, no questions were asked and no opinions were offered...Maybe they've made up their mind already, I don't know.' Then, the popular trainer raised the issue of relegation. He says: 'They are talking about relegation, its absurd, absolutely absurd...Stewards have done too good a job to date to eradicate malpractice and it's not fair they should open the door to that sort of thing...The bloke that rides it out to the line and hits the horse twice too often gets relegated so he's done the right thing and won the race then gets relegated...It's too incredible to even think about.'

The whip affair is becoming a blight on Aussie racing. It's a self-induced crisis. There was no problem. One was created by the Australian Racing Board. It set off a dangerous ripple effect which is tarnishing racing's image and raising questions about integrity. The whole thing is a national disgrace. Punters will soon lose faith in the game unless they are 100% convinced the horses they back are given every chance to win.

Latest Cox Plate betting is dominated by Whobegotyou. Despite his defeat in last Sat's Underwood, the Street Cry gelding holds a firm grip on favoritism at $3.80 (11/4), well clear of Maldivian $9.00 (8/1). The latest Betstar market on Tuesday morning:

Whobegotyou 3.80
Maldivian 9.00
Heart Of Dreams 11.00
El Segundo 13.00
Predatory Pricer 13.00
Jolie's Shinju (SING) 15.00
Trusting 15.00

Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter has penalised Red Lord a half kilogram for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups after his win in Sat's Naturalism Stakes (2000m). Red Lord became exempt from the Caulfield Cup ballot after his Naturalism win, the penalty taking the Anthony Cummings-trained galloper's weight in both Cups to 51.5kgs.

Anthony Cummings seems quietly confident he has a potent Melbourne Cup prospect with Red Lord. The 6YO gelding broke his neck last summer during his spell but AC reckons he has come back a stronger horse this spring. He says: 'He ran 16th in the Melbourne Cup last year but was over the top by the time he got there...This time he's having a much better prep.'' Red Lord won the Naturalism Stakes 2000m at Caulfield last Saturday. He's still at 66/1 for the Melbourne Cup.

After winning Sat's Grp 3 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill, So You Think has firmed into $5.50 for the Caulfield Guineas. The 3YO colt, trained by Bart Cummings, will clash with super colt Trusting and Sheikh Mohammed's highly-rated Denman, who has his final Guineas lead-up in Sat's Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick. Denman's stablemate Demerit, who won the Guineas Prelude at Caulfield, is likely to miss the Guineas. Peter Snowden will probably freshen him up for a crack at the Grp 1 Coolmore Stakes at Flemington on Oct 31.

Latest Melbourne Cup market from betstar.com.au:

Vigor 9.00
Efficient 11.00
Viewed 13.00
C'est La Guerre 15.00
Master O'Reilly 15.00
Profound Beauty (IRE) 15.00
Daffodil (NZ) 17.00
Roman Emperor 17.00
Precedence 21.00
Speed Gifted 21.00
Changingoftheguard (IRE) 26.00
Cima De Triomphe (GB) 26.00

Cox Plate plans are OFF for Typhoon Tracy...Trainer Peter Moody reckons she's not a 2040m galloper. Typhoon Tracy failed in the Underwood Stakes on Sat after working over from a wide gate to lead. She weakened to run 8th. PM is now considering giving her a freshen-up before a crack at the Myer Classic.

The Kiwis are happy...The trainers of NZ stayers Red Ruler and Capecover say they are spot-on for the spring cups after their leadup runs at Caulfield on Sat. Red Ruler, trained at Matamata by John Sargent, ran 5th, btn less than 2 lens by Heart Of Dreams in the Underwood Stakes (1800m). JS says: 'He's just starting to lose his winter coat and he's certainly heading the right way...He got held up a bit, but he had a lovely run...It was a great run in that field and he'll go up another level in terms of his fitness.' Red Ruler will now tackle the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Oct 3 before running in the Caulfield Cup.

Melbourne Cup prospect Capecover may run in the Mornington Cup. He was blocked for a run and went to the line strongly for 8th behind Red Lord, in the Grp 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m). Wanganui trainer Alexander Fieldes was thrilled with the run, as was jockey Craig Williams. AF says: 'Craig said he was flying, he just didn't have any luck. He told me, 'I'm riding him wherever he goes.' He said it was the best he's ever felt, and he'll be a great chance if he gets to the cup.' Capecover, who won last year's Queen Elizabeth (2500m) at Flemington, is not entered for the Caulfield Cup and is a $41 chance for his main target, the Melbourne Cup.

Vigor has maintained favoritism for the Caulfield Cup despite his defeat in the Underwood at Caulfield on Saturday. The latest market from TAB Sportsbet has Vigor at $6.00 (5/1), ahead of Predatory Pricer $9.00, Daffodil $10.00, Red Ruler $12.00, Master O'Reilly $15.00 and then Maldivian, Whobegotyou and Kirklees all at $17.00. The UK import Speed Gifted, who failed at Caulfield, is out to $21.00, along with Raffaello, Hissing Sid and Roman Emperor.

Vigor is also the current favorite at $9.00 (8/1) for the Melbourne Cup, according to TAB Sportsbet. It has Efficient and Master O'Reilly at $12.00, Profound Beauty and Viewed at $14.00, then Daffodil, Roman Emperor and C'est La Guerre at $16.00.

A loser with a smile on his face...That was Mark Kavanagh after the Caulfield meeting. The popular trainer left the track without a winner but couldn't keep the grin from showing. He says: 'II haven't had a winner all day but I've had a delightful day.' The reason? His Victoria Derby aspirant Shamoline Warrior finished a bold 2nd in the first race, then his promising mare Lamarr ran 3rd in the second race and Raffaello ran on stoutly for an unlucky 3rd in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. MK wound up the day with Whobegotyou (2nd) and Maldivian (4th) in the Underwood.

Out you go...It was suspension time for Kerrin McEvoy and Glyn Schofield after the Grp 2 the Shannon Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. Stewards says the pair allowed their mounts to shift ground near the 200m, causing Strat's Flyer to be chopped off. Both jockeys pleaded guilty. McEvoy was outed for two meetings and Schofield for three. The suspensions start on Sep 27. McEvoy returns on Oct 1 while Schofield is back on Oct 2.

The international assault on the Melbourne spring is building up steam...Bankable and Mourilyan are the latest stayers to be confirmed. They'll race under Herman Brown's banner in Australia. Bankable is after the LKS Mackinnon while Mourilyan's target is the Melbourne Cup. Mourilyan has 54.5kgs in the Melbourne Cup. He's currently being quoted at around $41. Mourilyan and Bankable are raced by the Chezchen president Ramzan Kadyrov. Other internationals about to head Down Under are Kirklees, Eastern Anthem, Cima de Triomphe and Profound Beauty. There is also a chance Basaltico will make the trip.

Newcastle Gold Cup winner Streetfighter will take a shot at nabbing a Grp 1 win by targeting the AJC Metropolitan at Randwick on Oct 3. His Cup win has taken his career record to 8 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 26 starts for earnings of $305,940. Streetfighter might do well in the Metrop. He's a gutsy type who showed a lot of grit to stave off the challenge of Lodge The Deeds by a short-half-head with Enzedex Eagle beaten off 1.25lengths away in third place.

Irish Lights, an impressive first-up winner at Flemington 1100m on Sep 5, is the early equal fav at $4.00 (3/1) for the Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday. Headway, a last start 8th in the Grp 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill, is sharing the top line in the market released by TAB Sportsbet.

R4 THOUSAND GUINEAS PRELUDE

IRISH LIGHTS 4.00
HEADWAY 4.00
CLOCKED 8.50
SET FOR FAME 9.00
RECORRIDO 11.00
MONT FLEURI 11.00
CORSAIRE 12.00
MIRACULOUS MISS 13.00
ST KIARA 14.00
SILENT SURROUND 15.00
CUSTARD 18.00
OUR JOAN OF ARC 26.00
FOMALITE 26.00
YULE LUVIT 51.00
3GOLD ROCKS 61.00

Early bet: Irish Lights $3000 @ $4

Top apprentice Daniel Ganderton will be off the riding scne for some time after a bad race fall at Newcastle. He's in John Hunter Hospital and has a suspected broken left leg. DG had a string of good rides at Rosehill on Sat.

Don't miss the latest October issue of Practical Punting Monthly magazine. It's our Caulfield Cup issue. Top 3YO Denman is featured on the front cover.

Look out for Lovemelikearock in the Wakeful Stakes in Melbourne. If she does well, Anthony Cummings will target the VRC Oaks 2500m.

Trainer Con Karakatsanis was pleased with Black Piranha's solid 2nd in Wed's Cameron Hdcp at Newcastle. He says: 'When it counted the 60kgs just blunted his sprint but I couldn't be happier with how he went...He's on track to run in the George Main next and then we'll go to Melbourne for the Cox Plate.' The Cameron winner Absolutelyfabulous 6/1 will nowe target the Grp 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flem on Oct 31. She ran 2nd in the race behind Forensics last year.

Dato winner Whobegotyou, with regular jockey Michael Rodd back, is a firm $2.60 fav for Sat's important Grp 1 Underwood Stakes 1800m at Caulfield. The field, with TAB Sportsbet prices (main chances in bold) is:

4- ROKK EBONY UNDERWOOD STAKES 1800 M
Of $350000 and $2000 trophy. 1st $210000 and trophy of $2000, 2nd $63000, 3rd $31500, 4th $15750, 5th $8750, 6th $7000, 7th $7000, 8th $7000.For Three-Years-Old and Upwards. Standard Weight for Age. (GROUP 1).No Allowances for apprentices. Field Limit: 16 + 4 EM
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No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barr Wgt Pen RTG
1 EFFICIENT (NZ) John Sadler Nicholas Hall 12 59 (119) ...$31.00
2 VIEWED Bart Cummings Brad Rawiller 11 59 (115)...$26.00
3 MALDIVIAN (NZ) Mark Kavanagh Craig Williams 13 59 (119)...$15.00
4 FIUMICINO (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 15 59 (113)...$101.00
5 MASTER O'REILLY (NZ) Danny O'Brien Noel Callow 1 59 (110)...$26.00
6 SCENIC SHOT Daniel Morton Shane Scriven 7 59 (115)...$35.00
7 DOURO VALLEY Danny O'Brien 8 59 (110)...$81.00
8 KIBBUTZ (NZ) Jarrod McLean 6 59 (106)...$301.00
9 C'EST LA GUERRE (NZ) John Sadler Steven Arnold 14 59 (111)...$26.00
10 RED RULER (NZ) John Sargent Danny Nikolic 3 59 (106)...$31.00
11 VIGOR (NZ) Danny O'Brien Damien Oliver 5 59 (110)...$7.00
12 WHOBEGOTYOU Mark Kavanagh Michael Rodd 10 58 (114)...$2.60fav
13 HEART OF DREAMS Mick Price Craig Newitt 4 58 (108)...$7.00
14 PREDATORY PRICER Paul Murray Steven King 2 58 (109)...$9.00
15 ZARITA (NZ) Pat Hyland Dwayne Dunn 9 57 (107) ...$10.00
16 TYPHOON TRACY Peter G Moody Luke Nolen 16 56 (108)...$8.00
17e MACO'REILLY (NZ) David Haworth Glen Boss 18 59 (110)...$61.00
18e ZAGREB David Hayes Chris Symons 19 59 (102)...$101.00
19e MISS DARCEY Anthony Cummings Mark Zahra 17 56 (92)...$201.00