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Maher's jumping star sidelined; All eyes on Friday
Maher's jumping star sidelined
Assistant trainer Declan Maher, who oversees the conditioning of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable's jumps horses, said that pin-up stayer Ablaze , who won last year's Grand Annual Chase (5500m) and Grand National Hurdle (4200m) before running second in the Grand National Chase (4500m), had sustained a tendon injury and may have raced for the last time.
The now 10-year-old has banked more than A$1 million in prizemoney since relocating from New Zealand and, as well as his jumping success, won the iconic Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool.
"He (Ablaze) was scanned the other day and he's done a tendon," Maher said.
"It most likely happened in the run (in the Crisp Chase last start), that's usually when those things happen.
"Rod (Lyons) and his ownership group have said the horse owes them nothing, he's a champion in their eyes and he's a champion in our eyes – he doesn't have to prove himself.
"But we'll give him the opportunity to see how it heals and he'll tell us whether he races again."
All eyes on Friday
With New Zealand set to remain under COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions until at least 11:59pm this Friday, racing will not resume until Saturday at the earliest.
On the basis that New Zealand, with the exception of Auckland, enters level 3 on Saturday, scheduled race meetings will be conducted as planned at Te Rapa and Awapuni on Saturday, and Matamata on Sunday.
The race meeting initially scheduled for Ashburton on Thursday will now also take place on Saturday.
The Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m), which was initially scheduled to be run at Ruakaka on Saturday 21 August, will now be run at Te Rapa on Saturday.
New Zealand thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is currently exploring viable additional racing opportunities over the coming weeks to help compensate for the abandoned race meetings.
Since nearly two weeks of race meetings, trials and jumpouts will have been abandoned, NZTR is also looking at the calendar overall, and assessing the need to alter future race dates.
