By MIKE DILLON
This must surely be the end of Zonda.
You hope not, but after a spiral fracture of a hind cannon bone on Saturday morning, New Zealand's most accident-prone top class galloper is looking at the back door of racing.
Zonda was coming back after five serious setbacks, not career-threatening, but they were enough to halt the career of a huge talent in rout when he had to be carted off the Matamata track on Saturday morning.
He was seven days off his first major test this time in this Saturday's $100,000 New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie.
Trainer Roger James is flying back from Melbourne today to assess the damage Zonda has done to his leg.
Some have marvelled at James' patience at bringing Zonda back from adversity so many times.
"I always said he would come back because each setback was not career-threatening, just ill-timed injuries. He never had miles on the clock and there was always time for him to recover."
Stable rider Vinny Colgan trotted Zonda around before working on Saturday morning and lamented his luck that a suspension meant he would not be riding the horse at Ellerslie. Moments later those thoughts changed when Zonda stopped in one stride in his work.
"Remarkably, he did it going threequarter pace on a perfect plough - how unlucky can you be," said James.
James has never rated any other horse he has trained as even close in ability to Zonda, who became a millionaire at just his 13th start.
"He's the best I've ever thrown a saddle near. No one ever saw the best of him - even me.
"I said that after his 3-year-old racing and I'll never change that opinion.
"He was something very electric and something very special. Freakish."
* * *
Watching Gem Dancer destroy a talented sprint field on Saturday you would find it hard to believe she has ever had a bad day in her life.
Not much more than four weeks ago she had her second respiratory operation.
It was the opposition, not her, who ran out of breath on Saturday.
Few horses are as good after respiratory operations.
Gem Dancer may have been suited by the hectic pace set by Playful Fingers, but she was always going to win the race.
When Lance O'Sullivan let her down she raced away to win by three and a half lengths like a coming group one sprint winner.
It was the fifth winner on the day for Lance O'Sullivan, who copped a $1000 fine and a one-day suspension for his ride in winning the St Leger Trial at Trentham on Deebee Belle on Thursday, a penalty the mare's trainer Tony Gillies defends his rider on.
"I can't see how Lance got fined and no one else did," said Gillies on Saturday.
* * *
Not all O'Sullivan's top rides on Saturday were winners - his third placed Sierra Dane in the Matamata Breeders Stakes was the effort of a horse who will not be a maiden long.
Sierra Dane's last 150m sprint was exceptional.
"How would she be in a maiden 2-year-old race right now," said O'Sullivan.
Danroad is heading places, but just which places will be decided in the next week.
Senior owner Rob McAnulty has to decide whether to take on the crack Australian youngsters or keep Danroad in New Zealand for the dual Sires' Produce races at Awapuni and Ellerslie.
Trainer Chris McNab has two thoughts: Danroad will be better with plenty more experience and he needs a firm track.
The flashing run into second behind Danroad by Vaalu was appropriate - his big brother Vinaka went out of work after an unplaced run at Trentham on Thursday and Vaalu makes a dashing debut 48 hours later for Jim Gibbs.
"He's got a future," said rider Michael Coleman.
* * *
Michelle Wenn has had immediate success in Singapore.
On the first riding day of a three-month contract Wenn rode the winner of a $S55,000 ($NZ73,000) race over 1800m at the Kranji track in Singapore yesterday. It was her second ride of the day.
Her victory came on Pacific Dancer, trained by another Kiwi in Laurie Laxon.
Laxon is the leading trainer in Singapore for the year with his winning tally at 14 before yesterday's meeting.
His nearest rival was John Meagher with nine wins.
Wenn arrived in Singapore in good form. The 27-year-old gained the biggest win of her career stake-wise when riding her father Terry's horse Honor Bound in the $150,000 Highview Stud Trophy on January 2.
A few weeks later she had three wins from three mounts at Trentham, including Coup Ray in the Wellington Stakes.
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