TALENTED KEMBLA MARE A SHOCK PMC FINAL SCRATCHING

PAUL Murray was entitled to be shattered, but took it on the chin.

The Kembla Grange trainer yesterday afternoon scratched his talented mare Welcometobarbados from Saturday’s $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick.

“She was a bit lame when we took her out of her box,” Murray said.

“She put in a funny stride when she started walking and then you could notice she wasn’t right.”

Murray this morning revealed the source of the problem has been located.

“She has chipped a bone in the off fore fetlock,” he said.

“Apparently the chip has been there for a while, and it has just moved, causing her lameness.

“It could have moved next week instead,” he added, tongue in cheek.

“Of course it’s shattering as this was the race we had set her for from last year.

“But we’ve still got a good horse, and I’m sure she will come back as good as new.”

Murray did not delay withdrawing Welcometobarbados to give leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees time to plan the final stages of first emergency Kind Words’ preparation.

Lees now has three representatives in the Final, and was able to secure Melbourne’s Jamie Melham for Kind Words.

He already had qualified Lord Of Biscay (James McDonald) and Imposant (Jason Collett).

Lees is chasing his sixth success in the annual feature, having won three times when the race was for provincial trainers only, and then twice when Midway trainers also became eligible.

Welcometobarbados cost only $700 online as a weanling, and has won five of her nine starts and earned just over $155,000 in prizemoney.

The mare’s withdrawal came as a shock as earlier yesterday Murray said he was thrilled with how she had come through her preparation.

Jean Van Overmeire won a Newcastle Qualifier (1400m) on Welcometobarbados on March 1, defeating Lord Of Biscay and Matcha Latte, who subsequently won another Newcastle Qualifier 19 days later.

Van Overmeire, though suspended, drove to Canberra last Wednesday to win a trial on the mare and afterwards told Murray she was “in second gear”.

Van Overmeire, who rode Welcometobarbados at only her second start when a close third in a Sapphire Coast Super Maiden Plate (1400m) in February last year, was reunited with the mare through another jockey’s ill fortune.

“Quayde Krogh had won three races on her from four rides last preparation, and would have been her jockey this preparation,” Murray said.

“But he got injured and hasn’t ridden since New Year’s Eve, so Jean got the call-up.”

Murray had set Welcometobarbados for the PMC Final, hoping to emulate his iconic late father Bede, who won the inaugural Provincial Championships Final in 2015 with Sure And Fast (Jason Collett).

He had helped saddle the gelding, and remembers the day well, keen to also put his name on the PMC honour roll.

In a revised Final market, Matcha Latte ($3.70) holds favoritism over a firming Lord Of Biscay ($4).

Story John Curtis, April 9, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos