One of New Zealand pacing's great careers hangs in the balance, with Terror To Love a chance of being retired even before Friday's Auckland Trotting Cup.
The $2.5 million earner pulled up with heel problems after another below-par Menangle performance in the Inter Dominion Final on Sunday.
The three-time NewZealand Cup winner turned the race on its ear when he blasted across to lead from barrier nine and wouldn't concede to eventual winner Beautide, which at least gave Terror To Love's backers some buzz for their money.
But he was a beaten horse at the top of the straight and finished midfield, returning to the stabling area looking worse for wear.
"He came back with some blood on his heels," said trainer Graham Court. "He wouldn't have stopped like that for no reason and he definitely roughed himself up a bit during the race.
"So we will get him to Auckland and see how he bounces back."
Terror To Love was to land at 3am today on the same plane as Cup rivals Adore Me, Christen Me and Sky Major but while they are all near certain to start at Alexandra Park, Terror To Love must be highly doubtful to defend his title.
If the heels are even slightly serious his chances of contesting the Easter Cup at Addington next month look slim, suggesting he could be retired.
After the Easter Cup there are no group one pacing races left for the season for aged horses so Terror To Love would have no prestigious targets.
"If it comes to that we will look at whether he races at Addington in a smaller race as a send-off," says Court.
"That is all in the future. We know he is going to be retired sometime soon but for now I am still focusing on Friday night. But clearly he won't be there unless he is over what happened on Sunday."
That isn't the only problem facing Terror To Love in his Cup defence as he has drawn one on the second line behind one of the longshots in Cyamach, suggesting he faces a mammoth task against in-form opponents, like his flying buddies from last night.
The TAB opened Adore Me favourite even after she drew the outside of the second line, a blow lessened by the fact Christen Me is drawn back there, too.
She opened $2.10 with the TAB yesterday and immediately attracted a bet of $6000. Christen Me is at $4.40 and Terror To Love $8.50.
Follow The Stars was also plunged yesterday, with $5000 on him at $2.30 as soon as the market opened for Friday's Northern Derby.
