Relax EI restrictions, Bart says

BART Cummings is urging an immediate relaxation of interstate horse movement restrictions to ensure the best gallopers can compete at the Sydney autumn carnival next year.
Cummings said his carnival preparations for stable stars such as Wonderful World and Sirmione could be affected unless authorities adopt a more "commonsense" approach to the equine influenza-enforced regulations.
"They have to start relaxing some of these EI protocols," Cummings said.
"Victoria has to open up their borders. If they don't let the horses move between Melbourne and Sydney, it's going to have an impact on the autumn carnivals. All the horses are vaccinated now so what is the problem?
The current measures are ridiculous, they lack common sense."
Although EI stopped most of Cummings' best horses from competing during the spring, the Hall of Fame trainer was still able to make his presence felt in Melbourne with Sirmione and Wonderful World.
Sirmione gave Cummings the 248th Group I win of his career when he took out the Mackinnon Stakes while Wonderful World ran a gallant second behind El Segundo in the W.S. Cox Plate.
Cummings said both horses had to remain in Melbourne as he was not allowed to bring them back into NSW to spell.
"I had to spell them down there after the spring carnival," he said.
"They are coming back into work now and at this stage they are both going to resume in Melbourne during the autumn.
"The obvious race for Sirmione is the Australian Cup, and Wonderful World might go the same way. We will work out some races for him."
Cummings said his Randwick stables were cranking up again after EI.
"We've got a full house just about, which is a good," he said.
"I want to bring some more horses back into work but I've got to find some room for them."
The legendary trainer's promising young stayer Empires Choice, winner of the Queensland Derby earlier this year, is being readied for the Sydney autumn carnival.
"Empires Choice got EI and stayed in the stable but he's well now," Cummings said.
"I'll aim him at races like the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW."