"She is just too high in the weights now for a handicap like the Coupland's," Karen Parsons, the Balcairn owner-breeder and co-trainer of Final Touch, said.
Final Touch was top weight with 59kg for the $25,000 1400m race on Saturday and Wingatui apprentice Courtney Barnes claimed 3kg. There are no claims in the Coupland's Mile.
Barnes also rode Final Touch to win her previous start over 1200m at Riccarton.
Final Touch has now won 12 races from 30 starts and $194,000 in stakes.
The Breeders' Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares is run at a set weight of 55kg with penalties. Final Touch would be required to carry 56kg. She ran second to Mygoodgrace in the race last year.
It was mission accomplished when Jeu de Cartes won the listed $50,000 Spring Classic at Riccarton. Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman had sent the daughter of Stravinsky and Prized Gem to Riccarton in quest of a black type win to boost her worth as a broodmare.
She won easily by three and a-half lengths.
"She is on her way home and the plan is to send her to Melbourne for lesser staying races," Forsman said.
Jeu de Cartes is owned in Brisbane by breeder Billie Morton, who raced Prized Gem, winner of the 2002 Brisbane Cup and Prime Minister's Cup.
Prized Gem is the dam of Nom du Jeu, winner of the 2008 AJC Derby when trained by Baker.
Forsman joined Baker as a training partner this season. He has worked for the stable for 10 years, the first seven part-time and the last three as foreman.
The partnership won the listed Fillies Stakes with Twilight Granita at Wanganui last month.
The stable won the $A405,000 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Saturday with It's a Dundeel, who is in the name of Baker in Australia. It's a Dundeel is now being aimed at the VRC Derby at Flemington on November 3. Baker won the 2010 VRC Derby with Lion Tamer.
The Mike Moroney-trained Monaco Consul (2009) is the most recent winner of the Spring Champion-VRC Derby double.
A Bob Short has been ruled out of spring racing with a wind affliction. The 3yr-old winner of his two starts this season, at Ashburton and Riccarton, was diagnosed as a roarer after he stopped to last in a rating 75 1200m on Saturday. He remained in Christchurch and will undergo surgery on his throat this week.
His Ikamatua trainers, Peter and Ken O'Malley, won a maiden race on Saturday with Emm Gee, whom they race with Alan Lawrey, of Auckland. They bred Emm Gee, a 4yr-old mare by Sandtrap from Corniche.
Lawrey trained Corniche to win races at Reefton and Riccarton in the late 1990s when based on the West Coast.
Michael McNab was suspended from Thursday until midnight the following Thursday for careless riding. McNab, riding Mt Difficulty (race 5), admitted crowding Katriffic near the 200m.
Efficient, winner of the 2007 Melbourne Cup, has been retired after a leg injury, AAP reports. The Lloyd Williams-owned 9yr-old gelding won the 2006 Victoria Derby. He won the Melbourne Cup when trained by Graeme Rogerson. He won the 2009 Turnbull Stakes and raced 29 times for seven wins and just under $4.8 million prizemoney.
