One leading trainer described Turnbull Stakes day at Flemington as the Melbourne spring carnival's "fork in the road".Presumably, he didn't imagine that one of the forks led to a dead-end.For at least two of the Melbourne spring carnival's most exciting prospects, the party is over.Melbourne's hero Weekend Hussler and Sydney's best older galloper, Tuesday Joy, are either out of action for the rest of the year or close to it after their exertions on Saturday.In the case of Tuesday Joy, who came i

One leading trainer described Turnbull Stakes day at Flemington as the Melbourne spring carnival's "fork in the road".

Presumably, he didn't imagine that one of the forks led to a dead-end.

For at least two of the Melbourne spring carnival's most exciting prospects, the party is over.

Melbourne's hero Weekend Hussler and Sydney's best older galloper, Tuesday Joy, are either out of action for the rest of the year or close to it after their exertions on Saturday.

In the case of Tuesday Joy, who came into the meeting as a vibrant and powerful Melbourne Cup prospect, the immediate future is certain.

She bled in the Turnbull Stakes and is now banned from racing for three months.

For Weekend Hussler, the Horse of the Year and racing's great story, there is more doubt than finality.

Weekend Hussler finished eighth in the Turnbull, placing his ambitious spring campaign under a cloud, if not in serious jeopardy.

He had a harder run than any other horse in the Turnbull from his outside gate, but he was meant to be better than every other horse.

Trainer Ross McDonald had confidently planned to run Weekend Hussler in the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup, a campaign that no trainer has attempted in decades.

At this stage, McDonald is pressing on to the first of those races, but with his confidence deflated and with a word of warning for punters.

"We'll see how he draws before making a decision," McDonald said.

"If he got another bad barrier I'd scratch him."

Such an attitude in a race that attracts huge pre-post betting from punters who would lose their money cold if they backed the horse before final acceptances, is bound to concern stewards.

Of less concern to connections would be the scratching fee of around $20,000.

McDonald said Weekend Hussler had come through the race apparently unscathed.

"He's had his head in his feed bin all night," McDonald said.

"We went for a walk this morning and he was fine.

"They all have their off days."

Weekend Hussler is now the $5 second favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Caulfield Cup behind Turnbull winner Littorio who is now at $4.80.

He remains favourite for the Cox Plate at $3.50 with New Zealand mare Princess Coup now at $4 following her comprehensive win in the Kelt Capital Stakes.

In the Melbourne Cup Weekend Hussler has almost slid from the bookmaker's boards at $26 in a market now headed by Littorio ($6.50) and the Irish stayer Septimus who is at $7.50 along with master O'Reilly and Efficient.

As Weekend Hussler and Tuesday Joy took their wrong turns, their places were taken to a large extent by the New Zealand mare Princess Coup and the Newcastle filly Samantha Miss.

Princess Coup won her country's richest race, the Kelt Capital Stakes, for the second successive year.

Trainer Mark Walker said he planned to send Princess Coup to Melbourne three days before the Cox Plate in which she will be ridden by her latest partner, Opie Bosson.

In Sydney, Australia's best filly clearly became one of the best horses in the country.

No horse this season has been more impressive than Samantha Miss was in the Flight Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

The run made her third pick in Cox Plate betting, even though trainer Kris Lees did his best to keep everything in perspective - at least for a few days.

"The Cox Plate is still in our plans, but I'd rather not take the gloss off what she has achieved here," Lees said.

"We'll start thinking about the Cox Plate next week.

"She's an absolute champion in her own right and deserves her place in history."