Racing: Injured I Can Doosit out until next season

I Can Doosit. File photo / Sarah Ivey

The season that once shaped as the greatest in the history of New Zealand trotting has ended in disappointment.

So, instead of chasing $1 million worth of glamour races in coming months, I Can Doosit will not be seen again until next season.

The champion trotter is out of Sunday's A$200,000 Glenferrie Farm Challenge at Menangle and will return to New Zealand for an operation.

That will involve having his troublesome fetlock joints flushed out and then months in a paddock.

Disappointed trainer Mark Purdon was left with no other choice after I Can Doosit's joints struggled to handle the workload needed for an open-class trotter.

"He could have got to the races this week but that wouldn't be fair on him to be racing at 90 per cent," said Purdon. "And it wouldn't be fair on the punters either so we will send him home and look after him."

That also means I Can Doosit misses A$500,000 worth of races in Melbourne later next month and the defence of his Rowe Cup title he won last season.

He started the season in stunning, record-smashing form and looked ready to dominate trotting but the first signs of trouble came when he galloped in the Flying Mile at Cambridge on Christmas Eve.

He has not looked right since and it can now only be hoped he returns to his best again next season.

Incredibly Purdon has gone from having potentially eight open-class horses at Sunday's mega meeting to having just one in Escapee in the Challenge and she will start from barrier nine as she is rated as unruly.

The Trotting Challenge, to be run over a mile, is shaping as a stunner even without I Can Doosit.

The Fiery Ginga (1) and I Didn't Do It (2) drew the inside barriers and their drivers will be determined to lead. That could set the race up for the Kiwi-trained swoopers, headed by wonder veteran Stig (7), Sovereignty (5) and Escapee.