Western Empire, Regal Power and Stageman ruled out of Melbourne spring carnival by owner Bob Peters

Western Empire, Regal Power and Stageman have been ruled out of the rest of the Melbourne spring carnival after owner Bob Peters decided to bring them home to WA. Group 1 winners Western Empire and Regal Power were well beaten behind I’m Thunderstruck in Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington when fifth and sixth respectively. Western Empire, who was bound for the $5 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) next month, also failed to fire first-up when fifth to Snapdancer as the favourite in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Regal Power, Peters’ highest ever stake earner with $4.5 million, was coming off a solid fourth to Mr Brightside first-up in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m). “I’ve decided to bring three of them home to the farm,” Peters said. “We’ll assess them and make decisions on their futures, whether we enter them for the Ascot carnival or give them a break and look at something in the autumn. “They pulled up OK with no obvious signs of anything wrong. “Western Empire and Regal Power didn’t run well at all. They didn’t improve on their first-up runs. “Western Empire didn’t seem to put in. He was changing legs and was all over the place.” Peters said the Danny O’Brien-trained trio would possibly fly back to WA this week. He wasn’t sure if the soft 7 track at Flemington was a legitimate excuse for Western Empire, who raced exclusively on good tracks in WA. Stageman added to Peters’ woes when he was unsettled in the barriers after a lengthy delay to the start of the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m). The classy sprinter was in the barrier next to Veranskova, whose bridle had to be replaced after breaking when she was loaded into the gates. Stageman ran ninth but in a positive for Peters, his Group 1 winner Graceful Girl finished strongly late for fifth in the same race. “She will be entered for the Rupert Clarke on Saturday,” Peters said. “We could have her and Showmanship in it. I thought she ran quite well and she seems to have pulled up OK. “We’ll also have Midnight Blue in the Naturalism Stakes.” Kissonallforcheeks flew the flag for WA when she won the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. WA hoop Shaun McGruddy was suspended for eight days for breaching the whip use rule on Red Can Man, who ran fourth in the Bobbie Lewis. Apprentice Taj Dyson was suspended for 12 days for careless riding on Expelliarmus, the winner of race three, at York on Sunday.

Western Empire, Regal Power and Stageman ruled out of Melbourne spring carnival by owner Bob Peters

The No. 1 source of news for every West Australian

Everyday Digital

Everyday Digital + Weekend Papers