Racing: Injury spate hits top stable

Adore Me wins the NZ Trotting Cup last month, a victory since tarnished by injuries to stablemates. Photo / Getty Images

Champion trainers suffer mishaps to leading pacers only weeks after NZ Cup triumphs.

It is not all handshakes and cup-winning photos at the top of the harness racing tree. Champion trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen can attest to that even after a dream New Zealand Cup week.

After dominating cup day by winning two group ones among their seven wins for the day, it has been back to reality for All Stars stables in the weeks since, with a series of season- or even career-ending injuries to leading pacers.

While they still have 15 horses now based in Auckland ready for Friday night's Alexandra Park meeting, Hands Christian and Alta Orlando aren't among them.

Hands Christian's injury-plagued career ended when he broke down in the New Zealand Cup, won in record time by stablemate Adore Me.

And now exciting 3-year-old Alta Orlando will miss the rest of the season.

The early favourite for the $250,000 Sales Series Pace on December 31, Alta Orlando has suffered a strained hind suspensory and will be out of training for six months, meaning he won't race until next season.

That costs him a shot at well over $1 million in races this term alone at a time when he was finally developing the brains to match his motor.

And lesser-known but still talented fellow 3-year-old Alta Ronaldo has injured a tendon and also been sidelined.

"It happens and is part of the game but it is never nice," says Purdon.

"A horse like Alta Orlando had a lot of money he could have raced for so you really feel for the owners.

"So even when things are going well for the stable like they were during cup week they can change very quickly."

Adore Me returns to Alexandra Park on Friday in a $30,000 mares race and clashes for the first time with last season's 3-year-old filly sensation Venus Serena, as well as Helena Jet, Willow and Lancewood Lizzie in a hot line-up of mares.

Most are using Friday's feature to prepare for the $100,000 Rosslands Queen Of Hearts a week later.

"We are happy with her [Adore Me]," said Purdon.

Meanwhile, the all-important barrier draw for Saturday night's A$100,000 Ballarat Cup will be held around 2pm (NZ time) today.

The Victorian race has taken on added interest after Terror To Love broke his Australian duck in spectacular fashion at Cranbourne on Saturday night.

So impressive was the three-time NZ Cup winner that if he drew handy with the potential to lead this Saturday he could start favourite over Aussie hero Beautide.

Which is remarkable when you consider that just 10 days ago in the Miracle Mile Beautide was odds-on and easily beat home Terror To Love who was 30-1.

Cambridge driver Todd Mitchell sits on 999 New Zealand career wins heading into the Hawera meeting on Thursday.

Mitchell moved to the doorstep of joining the 1000-win club when he partnered Gold Ace to win the Summer Cup last Friday night and could have been excused for bypassing Hawera.

Had he done so he would have been favoured to reach the milestone driving his stable star Prime Power in the first race at Alexandra Park on Friday night, slightly more glamorous surroundings than Hawera.

Reporting in sick

• Alta Orlando will miss the rest of the season.
• Alta Ronaldo has injured a tendon and has been sidelined.
• Hands Christian's career ended when he broke down in the New Zealand Cup.