Racing: Passchendaele out of action until spring

Heza Karma Karzi provides Matamata trainer John Sargent with an able substitute for the injured Passchendaele.

It took six or seven hours but John Sargent finally got to a red wine to ease the pain of $1 million Stella Artois Auckland Cup favourite Passchendaele breaking down yesterday morning.

The high-class mare cracked a cannon bone while producing a final track gallop that said only the worst bad luck could have beaten her in the big race at Ellerslie tomorrow.

Seasoned Matamata track watchers Dennis Ryan and Butch Fisher were astounded by the quality of the work Passchendaele produced yesterday morning.

"You wouldn't believe your luck," said a frustrated Sargent late yesterday.

"She'd worked brilliantly, she hosed off fine and I noticed when she was put in the paddock that she was walking a bit short behind.

"I knew it had to be x-rayed and they showed she had a hairline fracture up the front of a hind cannon bone."

Veterinarians were inserting pins in the leg when the Herald telephoned.

Mercifully, the crack was apparently directly up the cannon bone, the best possible scenario.

If a cannon bone crack goes out to the side it makes it much more difficult to repair with simple pinning.

One of the great examples of the success with pinning a cannon bone that was directly up and down is McGinty, who cracked his cannon, beating the similarly outstanding and eventual Golden Slipper Stakes winner Marscay in the Slipper lead-up at Rosehill.

McGinty came back and beat the best at group one level here and in Australia.

John Sargent is hopeful Passchendaele could be back for spring racing.

"We obviously won't know for a while, but there's a chance."

It may not be the worst result for Sargent - he still has two runners including the replacement favourite Heza Karma Karzi and Young Centaur.

At the weekend, Sargent rated Australian raider Zavite, now the second favourite, as perhaps the horse to beat, with Heza Karma Karzi the next best.The TAB bookies claim the break-down by Passchendaele has not been the huge financial windfall many might think.

"Yes, the scratching has been a result for us, but not as big as you might imagine," said TAB bookies team leader Steve Tucker.

Passchendaele's stablemate Heza Karma Karzi is the new cup favourite, something that doesn't surprise Sargent.

"I probably rated the Aussie Zavite a big chance, but I always thought my other horse was one of the real toughest to beat," said Sargent.

TAB bookie team leader Steve Tucker said it's not the million-dollar result punters might think.

"She was reasonably well backed in futures betting, our worst result, but it wasn't enormous.

"Our worst result now is Spin Around, mainly through the futures market. The final field market is pretty even."

AUCKLAND CUP

* Hot favourite Passchendaele broke down badly yesterday morning.
* The high-class mare cracked a hind cannon bone after producing a sensational final gallop.
* Stablemate Heza Karma Karzi is the new $5 favourite.