"As long as you have the ups - everyone has the downs in this game," said Price, who will now rest Gallica. "Originally, I thought she was an Oaks filly but with that bent leg, I might be asking for trouble."

Nice young thing

Lee Freedman had no excuses when his Caulfield Guineas second-favourite Romneya finished fourth yesterday, although the trainer did win the second race with promising filly Come Hither, which was ridden by Kerrin McEvoy.

"I wasn't that upset when she [Come Hither] missed the start," Freedman said. "We wanted her ridden back. There was a bit of speed on, and everything she has done she has finished it off."

Come Hither is one of 17 two-year-olds Freedman controls for Darley Stud, with the trainer describing the youngster as "one of our nicer fillies".

Freedman, who has won the Caulfield Cup four times, is without a runner in Saturday's feature but admitted he likes Red Ruler's chances with jockey Corey Brown aboard. Red Ruler was due in Melbourne last night with New Zealand Oaks winner Boundless.

"I offered to go down on Friday morning and get a feel for the horse, and I will do that, but I definitely won't be schooling him over the jumps," Brown said. "I'd probably do him more harm than good. I'll just have a sit on him but his work rider will take him over a few jumps - it's a ploy Lloyd Williams used with Efficient before last year's Melbourne Cup and it worked for him."

Track troubles

Irish Melbourne Cup hope Profound Beauty, which is prepared by two-time winner Dermot Weld, didn't make it out on to the Sandown training track yesterday. The stayer pulled up a plate overnight but unfortunately the farrier arrived after the gates to the track had closed.

It wasn't a good day for the visitors, with the four-wheel drive used to cart Irish trainer Aiden O'Brien around Sandown suffering a flat tyre.

However, top New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson is expected to be free to ride Kelt Capital winner Princess Coup in Saturday week's Cox Plate despite being embroiled in a drug test controversy.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has charged Bosson and fellow jockey Bruce Herd over an incident at Te Rapa on October 3. It is alleged Herd was requested to give a urine sample at the Te Rapa meeting and substituted the sample with one given by Bosson.

Narrow escape

Gai Waterhouse apprentice Daniel Ganderton was told yesterday he must "not set his mounts too difficult a task" at the completion of an inquiry into his beaten ride on Dealers at Rosehill last Saturday.

The jockey escaped being charged for a "blameworthy ride" due to his "relative inexperience".