Racing: Kotare Testament latest target of bad-luck gods

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Kotare Testament was supposed to be battling for New Zealand pacing pride last night - instead he was fighting for his life.

The outstanding 3-year-old has been struck down by a bacterial infection and it is still unclear whether he will make it through the weekend.

The infection, which has yet to be specifically diagnosed, hit late on Thursday night in Victoria, where Kotare Testament was preparing for a heat of the Victoria Derby.

Vets originally feared he would not live through Thursday night and pumped 25 litres of fluid through his body.

The gelding was in slightly better shape last night but still in danger.

"I am shattered by the whole thing but at least he is still alive," said trainer Mark Purdon.

"We are hoping he makes it through the weekend and will reassess things then. But even in the best-case scenario, he will not race again this season."

The setback is the latest in an unbelievable run of bad luck for Purdon's star-studded stable.

In the last 12 months he has seen champion pacer Young Rufus almost die because of a twisted bowel, only to return to the track a shadow of his former self.

His open-class replacement, Jack Cade, broke down not once but twice on the eve of big races, and classy 3-year-olds Lennon and Born Again Christian have also suffered serious problems.

"Really, it has been unbelievable," said Purdon. "I don't know how much more can go wrong."

Those thoughts must be echoed by one of Kotare Testament's owners, Tim Vince, who was trying for the third time to win the Victoria Derby.

"Every time the horse we have sent over has broken down or got sick," said Vince, who also owned Cool Hand Luke and Perfect Seelster, who suffered similar fates in Melbourne.

He also part-owns Lennon and Born Again Christian and, like Purdon, is wondering what he did to offend the gods of racing.

"I have hardly got any horses left. They are all crook," said Vince.

"I know it is part of the industry but for the first time I am starting to wonder what the hell I am doing this for.

"Then again, I know that won't last."

Vince owns Kotare Testament with Purdon's biggest owner, John Seaton, and popular horse transporter Neil Pilcher, the trio paying more than $100,000 for him as a maiden this season.

The gelding had been a luckless third in the Sires' Stakes Final at Addington in November, then was knocked out of the Great Northern Derby, for which he was hot favourite, in December.

Purdon is left shaking his head.

"I know these things can happen but at the moment I feel like somebody has got a voodoo doll that looks like me and they are putting pins into it all the time," he said.

The loss leaves only Waihemo Pete to defend New Zealand's amazing record in the Victoria Derby, which will be run next Saturday.