KEY POINTS:
Pacing sensation Pay Me Christian will not race again.
The exceptionally talented 4-year-old is set to be scratched from Friday night's $150,000 Messenger Pace and retired to stud.
His owners held an emergency meeting last night and while they would not confirm the decision, the Herald understands the stallion has run his last race.
The meeting arose after Pay Me Christian galloped in the score-up for last Friday's $100,000 Taylor Mile, losing his chance.
He was favourite for the group one event, victory in which would have cemented his ranking as the fastest young pacer in Australasia.
Instead he now looks a flawed genius, with his recent indiscretions caused by some mental frailty rather than any physical problems.
Pay Me Christian started the season on fire, setting an Australasian record of 1:52.8 in the Newcastle Mile in November.
He was then a phenomenal fourth in the Miracle Mile after starting from a wide draw, suggesting the pacing world was at his feet.
But he has since galloped early in the Auckland Cup and in the score-up for last Friday's Taylor Mile.
That has sent a scare into his owners, particularly Nevele R Stud, which purchased a half share in Pay Me Christian 18 months ago.
They are understandably concerned that Pay Me Christian's poor behaviour is costing him future breeding business.
The other side of that argument would be that Pay Me Christian has done so much damage to his reputation in the last two months he is better off racing so he can win some admirers back.
He could have raced on Friday night and again at Addington in the next two weeks to try to earn the extra $20,000 he needs in stake earnings this season to qualify for the $200,000 Harness Jewels.
That option is believed to have been the one favoured by his original owners, who still retain a half share, but the pressure from the Nevele R bosses may have been too intense.
So punters have almost certainly seen the last of the speed monster whose career took the wrong turnoff short of its final destination.
While Pay Me Christian's autumn has been a horror story, life continued to go almost perfectly for Divisive.
The leggy New South Wales pacer will be a red hot favourite for the Messenger after drawing to use his gate speed.
So dominant was his win last Friday he is an unbelievably short $1.60 favourite for the Harness Jewels, which are raced on June 2.
He will have one new high-class rival on Friday though, with Awesome Armbro in the field after recovering from the setback that saw him miss last Friday's race.
His return won't be easy, though, as he will have to start from the outside of the front line.
Second favourite Monkey King gets his best draw for some time - barrier three.
While Divisive will dominate betting on the Messenger, One Over Kenny looks set to start a warm favourite in the night's equal richest race, the Pacific Sheet And Coil Rowe Cup.
The Oamaru mare beat most of her rivals last Friday when starting from a 20m backmark. This time she will start from just 10m behind over an even more suitable 3200m.
Southern filly Susie Maguire has got the best of the draws in $125,000 Sires' Stakes Fillies Final so will start favourite over Exotic Lover, Lizzie Maguire and Itz Cherry Ripe.
The meeting, which will host a $100,000 Pick6 and final field fixed odds betting on all 10 races, also contains the $75,000 PGG Wrightson Northern Trotting Derby, making it one of the strongest nights on the local calendar.
