May 13 - This week respected New Zealand trainer Wayne Hillis has a longer face than his talented thoroughbred Izonit, who has been excluded from Saturday's much-anticipated Doomben Cup (Gr 1) in Australia - despite being the initial race favorite - because he failed to meet eligibility requirements.

It seems that according to the eligibility rules as dictated by Queensland Racing Limited, runners with the least earnings are the first to be relegated from the big race. This means that instead of starting the AUD$500,000 2020m race for three-year-olds and above from barrier six, Izonit will be in his stable.

Said Hillis, 'I am extremely disappointed that we haven't got a start. Now he'll have to run in the Rough Habit Plate next week before he goes on to the Queensland Derby. It's strange considering Izonit was the favorite for the Doomben after his run in the Hollindale Stakes (Gr 2), but has now been excluded.'

The disappointed trainer went on to say that he feels it us unfair that under the eligibility rules, being from New Zealand he has been penalized further because of the exchange rate, meaning that Izonit's earnings in New Zealand dollars are automatically worth less than in Australian dollars, making him illegible.

Continued Hillis, 'I think they (Queensland Racing Limited) need to look at Group wins over the last 12 months. As it stands now, a horse could win a major stakes race as a 2-year-old and by the time it's four and ready for the Doomben Cup, it could get preference over an open company horse that is in form.'

So while Izonit went from running in the Doomben Cup as the race favorite from his trainer's ideal barrier, to being demoted to fourth emergency out of the 16-horse field, at least the dejected trainer has a backup plan in the form of entering Izonit in next week's Rough Habit Plate, before the Queensland Derby.

Izonit initially earned his berth in this year's Doomben Cup when he thundered home a close second to Fulmonti in the 1800m Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast earlier this month, marking his Australian debut. His rider, New Zealand jockey James McDonald, will now also have miss the Doomben Cup.

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2011/12/09 12:48:58 AM