Champion racehorse Auckland Reactor has suffered a minor injury and will miss the start of Auckland Cup week
on Friday.
The winner of 19 of his 20 starts, Auckland Reactor is a dominant favourite for the $600,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup on March 6.
And trainer Mark Purdon says while the champ's travel plans from Christchurch have been delayed, Auckland Reactor is "99.9 per cent likely" to start in the Cup.
But he will now miss the $60,000 NZ Herald Free-For-All at Alexandra Park this Friday, which was to have been his final lead-up race to the Cup.
"He has a slight injury to his fetlock area but it is really only a flesh wound," said Purdon from his Canterbury base. "But I would rather keep him here until it heals before traveling to Auckland with him next week. So we will miss the free-for-all this week and then still start in the Cup."
Auckland Reactor is set to be the biggest equine attraction of Auckland Cup week, which starts at Alexandra Park next Friday and comprises eight days of huge race meetings in all three racing codes - gallops, harness and greyhound racing.
He is rated New Zealand's best racehorse and was last season sold to a North American-based syndicate for a record $3.6 million.
Since then he has been on a winning rampage and on Friday was a shock nomination for the $1.2 million Interdominion series on the Gold Coast, which start in March 14, eight days after the Auckland Cup.
Purdon says that series is still very much on the agenda for Auckland Reactor.
"At this stage both the Auckland Cup and Interdoms are still certainly a goer," said Purdon.
(New Zealand Herald)