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Port Macquarie trainer Tas Morton is hoping to put a luckless week behind him when Star Of Legs lines up for his first middle-distance test at Armidale on Monday.

Morton had planned to run both Star Of Legs and Another Charger in Monday's Armidale Cup Charity Ball 18/3/17 Open Hcp (1900m). However, Morton decided to retire Another Charger on Friday morning after he was unhappy with the six-year-old's work.

Another Charger, winner of nine of his 27 starts - including the 2015 Armidatle Cup Prelude and Armidale Cup double - had failed to fire in five starts since returning from a tendon injury.

"I just wasn't happy with him when he worked this morning (Friday). We don't want to risk him breaking down so we've decided to retire him immediately," said Morton.

Another Charger showed promise earlier in his career, winning four of his five starts between December 9, 2014 and March 16, 2015, including successive wins at Canterbury, the Armidale Cup Prelusde and the Armidale Cup.

However, he bowed a tendon after his Armidale Cup win in March, 2015 and didn't return to the races until October 7 this year.

The loss of Another Charger comes a few days after Morton's three-year-old Drop The Eaves bled from both nostrils at Cessnock on Tuesday and copped a three-month ban.

Morton was very confident of success with Drop The Eaves, who started the $3 favourite in the 3YO Maiden Hcp (1350m) but the gelding had to be retired from the race after he bled. Morton believes heavy smoke from bushfires around Cessnock were a contributing factor.

"I thought Drop The Eaves would just win on Tuesday but now he's got the three-month ban for bleeding so it'll probably be four or five months before he'll be back" said Morton. "We drove through heavy bushfire smoke on Cessnock Road on the way to the track and I think that may have triggered the bleeding attack."

Morton is confident his luck can change on Monday with Star Of Legs who faces his first test beyond 1610m.

Star Of Legs has been racing well this preparation, winning the Aberdeen Cup (1450m) at Muswellbrook on October 30 and the Lennox Head Cup (1610m) at Ballina on November 19. Star Of Legs will find Monday's race easier than his last-start 10th of 15 runners in the Coffs Harbour Cup on December 9 when he made ground late from last at the 400m after a tardy start and being forced wide on the turn.

"Monday will be his first try at 1900m but I'm confident he'll run it out," said Morton. "The way he won at Ballina two starts back, coming from a long way back, and his effort in the Coffs Harbour Cup when he slipped out of the barrier and settled well back indicate to me he will have no worries handling the step up in distance."

One of the main threats in Monday's race looks to be the Tamworth mare Lonely Orphan who finished third to Sofin and Caped Crusader in the Port Macquarie Cup (2000m) back on October 7 and hasn't been beaten far in three subsequent unplaced efforts at Rosehll.

Monday's seven-race Armidale program, the club's final meeting for 2016, offers free entry for patrons.

The rail will be true and the track is currently rated a good 3.