Xcellent's career in the balance
Saturday, 19 January 2008:
The racing career of star galloper Xcellent is in the balance after the horse broke down following his win in the Group Three Trentham Stakes in Wellington.
Delight turned to despair within a matter of a seconds for trainer Mike Moroney.
"He won with a bit in hand," Moroney told one well-wisher as he appeared in the birdcage.
But when rider Michael Coleman dismounted in the back straight as Xcellent pulled up, Moroney immediately feared the worst.
"I hope he hasn't broken down," he said.
His fears were soon realised. He and his training partner, brother Paul, walked out onto the racetrack as Xcellent was walked back by strapper Chrissy Clements and a clerk of the course.
The crowd hushed as race caller Tony Lee announced there was something with amiss with Xcellent and everyone began to watch television monitors showing a riderless Xcellent.
Paul Moroney said the early signs for Xcellent were not good.
"The first prognosis is it's something like a cracked cannon bone, a sesamoid or something in the joint," he told NZPA.
It did not appear related to the tendon injuries which curtailed Xcellent's career after he finished third to Makybe Diva in the 2005 Melbourne Cup.
"It doesn't look like it is the tendons at all," Moroney said.
It was a second tragedy for the stable in two days after Group One winner Jokers Wild was put down in Melbourne after failing to recover from a blood infection.
Paul Moroney said Xcellent's new injury was gut-wrenching.
"I'm in a bit of shock. The strapper's really upset, the jockey's obviously very upset, the owners are upset, I'm upset."
Moroney did not say Xcellent's racing career was over.
"It's not life threatening, we don't think," he said.
A visibly upset Coleman said Xcellent did not falter during the running of the race.
"We got there (to the front) pretty quickly and then he gawked about a bit which he has done a bit in the past," Coleman said.
"Then he wandered about a bit but he didn't falter at that stage.
"But as soon as he pulled up to a trot he was pretty sore."
In a double drama, Everswindell, third behind Xcellent and Three Chimneys, also pulled up lame and rider Noel Harris dismounted too, walking back to the birdcage.
"I was going to run an easy second," Harris said.
"She was pretty sore when she pulled up."
Everswindell is thought to have an injury similar to that of Xcellent.
The mare won the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November and was being prepared for next Saturday's Wellington Cup, a race in which she finished third last year.
Xcellent, a Pentire six-year-old gelding, has a record of 13 starts for eight wins, one second and one third and stake earnings of $1.64 million.
Among his best wins were the 2004 New Zealand Derby and the 2005 Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings.
He was being prepared for an international campaign, which included the World Cup meeting in Dubai in March.
NZPA
http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/rsNewsArt.asp?NID=119408&story=Xcellent's_career_i n_the_balance