Angel has her wings clipped
Brilliant New Zealand-bred mare Arms Of An Angel has been prematurely retired after re-injuring her knee during a trial at Menangle in Sydney yesterday.
The daughter of Elsu, who hasn’t raced since December, made her first public appearance since the injury on her home track yesterday.
But she was eased down short of the post when driver and co-trainer Lauren Tritton felt she wasn’t pacing properly.
A subsequent vet examination this afternoon confirmed connections’ worst fears and the call was immediately made to retire her.
Arms Of Angel was purchased out of New Zealand for a modest sum by Victorian Zac Cornell in 2015 with just two wins to her name from 23 career starts.
She would win 10 of her 14 Australian starts, place at Group 1 level in the Chariots of Fire and Miracle Mile, and break the 1.51 mark when winning five times.
“She was a freakish talent and it was a privilege to be able to race a horse like her,” said Cornell.
“It’s a shame it has ended this way, but we have her foals to look forward to now.”
Arms Of An Angel was trained in Australia by Tritton and her husband, Shane.
Christen Me in 1:51.1
Former two-time Australasian Grand Circuit pacing champion Christen Me scored his third win in eight USA starts when taking out a $US15,000 open handicap at Harrington, Delaware, on Tuesday (NZ time), in the hands of expatriate New Zealand driver, Ross Wolfenden.
Now nine, the former top NZ pacer settled fourth of five, moved up parked over the final lap, ran clear beginning the final quarter and won easily in 1:51.1 (fifth) for the mile, around the half-mile circuit.
A winner of over $2.3 million in Australasia, this was his 35th career win and lifted his North American earnings to just over $US60,000.
He is now raced by Richard Polluci from the Jim King jun stable, who also won first-up with another former NZ Cran Dalgety-trained pacer in Baileys Rock at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 11 in 1:52.4.
Baileys Rock set a NZ three-year-old 2400m stand-start record at Ashburton last term.
Doctor ordered for sick Flying Stakes
Monday’s Group 2 $50,000 Ashburton Flying Stakes has had some life breathed in to it with the late inclusion of South Auckland pacer No Doctor Needed.
He joins Robbie Burns and six horses from Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s All Stars stable in the field.
Initially there were only six nominations, including four from the All Stars, but Classie Brigade was withdrawn by trainer Nigel McGrath and Purdon/Rasmussen opted to shift two more horses in to the race to get it off the ground.
No Doctor Needed’s trainer Steve Telfer then made a last-minute decision to put the horse in the race once it became apparent he could fly down to Christchurch in the early hours of this morning.
He was initially slated to continue his New Zealand Cup campaign in the Kaikoura Cup on Monday week, but will now take in Ashburton as well.
No Doctor Needed ran second to Jack’s Legend in Friday night’s Holmes DG Pace at Alexandra Park.
The Kiwi Way in Melbourne
Former promising Leithfield (North Canterbury) pacer The Kiwi Way has been sold out of the Robbie Holmes stable to clients of Victorian trainer, Joe Pace.
The four-year-old son of Mach Three and top NZ mare Kiwi Ingenuity won two of six New Zealand starts.
“He’s given him a month off to settle in over there before he starts again,” Holmes said.
Locharburn set to return
Big-winning North Canterbury pacer Locharburn could return to the workouts next week.
Trainer Kevin Chapman said he’s frightened to look too far into the future as the Christian Cullen entire has been plagued by injury setbacks.
“I’ve kept the weight off him and he’s looking good but things can change day-to-day,” he said.
The former New Zealand Derby winner was not considered for next month’s New Zealand Cup (3200m), but all going well, he could be ready for supporting shorter course free-for-all racing during New Zealand Cup week.
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