Racing: Christen Me bows out of Addington feature

Christen Me has been beaten twice in four starts and will not start in next Tuesday's New Zealand Cup. Photo / Stuart McCormick

The curse of last season's New Zealand Trotting Cup has claimed another huge scalp with long-time favourite Christen Me losing his battle to be at Addington next Tuesday.

On a day when Arden Rooney produced a brave performance to win yesterday's Kaikoura Cup, Christen Me's trainer Cran Dalgety conceded New Zealand Cup defeat.

Christen Me, the reigning Horse of the Year, has been the New Zealand Cup favourite from when the market opened and got as short as $2.50.

But he hasn't looked back to his stunning form of last season at any stage this campaign, beaten twice in four starts and looking listless by his very high standards even when he did win on two occasions.

"He just hasn't been right and I still can't put my finger on why," Dalgety said.

"Of course he has the wear and tear on his legs that any horse his age has but he is still pretty sound.

"And his blood reports are good so our best guess is that he has a viral complaint.

"Whatever it is, he simply isn't ready to go 3:55 [for 3200m] next Tuesday so he is out of the entire week, he won't start in the free-for-all on the Friday either."

Dalgety says he still holds a very slim hope Christen Me can contest the A$1.8 million Inter Dominion in Perth, which starts on November 27, but that looks unrealistic.

New Zealand horses have a poor record in recent years in Perth and it has proved a campaign killer for many so looks a terrible risk for a horse with any health issues.

More realistic for Christen Me now is a defence of his Auckland Cup, which reverts to a 3200m standing start on New Year's Eve. Christen Me is just the latest of last season's NZ Cup superstars to fall by the wayside, with the first five home last season all missing from Addington next Tuesday.

Winner Adore Me and fourth-placed Terror To Love have been retired, runner-up Franco Nelson and fifth-placed Christen Me are ailing while For A Reason, who finished third, has been racing well below his best in NSW and has been sent to Perth.

One of the big names to return from last year's NZ Cup is Arden Rooney, who was outstanding defending his Kaikoura Cup yesterday. Last season he won at Kaikoura before finishing 11th at Addington, trained for both by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.

He joined Victorian trainer-driver Kerryn Manning soon after and pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Australasian pacing history winning the Hunter Cup in February.

He has turned into a relentless stayer who takes no prisoners and Manning lived up to her pre-race comments by launching Arden Rooney even after an early break yesterday. He lost eight lengths but more importantly field position with that gallop but attacked leader Mossdale Conner and simply crushed him, surging to the lead at the 400m and being left a sitting duck for the late surge of Messini.

While the latter broke 55 seconds storming home for second, the winner was dogged and will have gained huge respect for the Cup next Tuesday, the field for which will be finalised tomorrow.

Arden Rooney's win and the withdrawal of Christen Me saw the former close to $6 with the TAB for the Cup, with Smolda the $3 favourite in front of Sky Major at $3.50 and Messini at $6.

Stent was excellent winning the main trot yesterday and looks set to back up for two Group Ones next week, while Alta Ronaldo used his standing start manners to win the Sales Series Pace.