Quarantine issues have forced Melito out of the Champions Mile in Hong Kong with the mare to follow a similar path to last year in Sydney and Brisbane.
Trainer Gerald Ryan and owner John Rippon pulled the pin on the trip to Hong Kong when it became clear the quarantine would be too long.
“Originally I was told the quarantine after the race would be three days in Hong Kong and two weeks in Australia,” Ryan said.
“It turns out that it’s two weeks in Hong Kong and four weeks in Australia and that’s just too long.
“John and I discussed it and just didn’t want to do it to her so she will probably go to the All-Aged Stakes then to Brisbane for the BTC Cup, the Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke, the same as last year.”
After winning the 2010 TJ Smith Stakes Melito racked up four Group One placings before she claimed another Group One victory in the Winter Stakes.
She was second to Hot Danish in the All-Aged, second to Albert The Fat in the BTC Cup, third to Hot Danish in the Doomben 10,000 and second to Black Piranha in the Stradbroke Handicap.
Her autumn performances earned her the title of NSW Horse of the Year.
She was unplaced in two spring starts but signalled she was back to her best with a first-up autumn victory in the Group Two Apollo Stakes.
Melito ran fifth in the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes before another two placings at the highest level when third to Aloha in the Coolmore Classic and second to More Joyous in the Queen Of The Turf.
The All-Aged Stakes (1400m) is at Randwick on April 23, three weeks before the BTC Cup at Doomben which is also the plan for Black Caviar.
AAP TURF