Flyin Courage, who won as a trotter at Oamaru on Sunday following success as a pacer at his previous start, has been put aside for a two-month spell after pulling a muscle.
"He has slightly pulled a muscle in his hind quarters and the veterinary advice was to spell him for two weeks so we have decided to give a him a rest for two months," Bruce Negus, his Waikouaiti trainer, said.
Flyin Courage was recording his first win as a trotter at his ninth start in that role. He has competed at both gaits, sometimes on the same programme, since early March.
He had his seventh win as a pacer at Forbury Park on June 14.
"We think he has another win in him as a pacer but he will be primarily trotting when he resumes racing," Negus said.
Flyin Courage has started 33 times this season for four wins and $28,800 in stakes.
Charlemagne, upset winner of the 4yr-old trotter section of the Harness Jewels, is back at Cambridge tonight with his regular driver, Philip Butcher in the sulky. Charlemagne finished third to Cyclone U Bolt and Irish Whisper at Alexandra Park since his Jewels win at Cambridge.
David Butcher had the drive.
Philip has driven Charlemagne in his three wins.
Peter Scaife, the Foxton trainer, has been fined $2000 after he admitted presenting a horse to race with higher level of carbon dioxide than permitted.
The horse Innes Lad was found to have a level of 37.2 mmol/L from a pre-race blood test at the Manawatu meeting on February 9. The level was declared after testing at the racing laboratory on February 16.
The permitted level under the rules of harness racing is 35. Innes Lad finished 10th in a field of 12. He was disqualified from the race.
The Racing Integrity Unit sought a disqualification of Scaife but the Judicial Control Authority representatives hearing the charge, R G McKenzie and N Moffatt, were persuaded by the arguments of Mary Jane Thomas, representing Scaife, that a monetary penalty was in order.
The RIU had not been able to present any evidence of administration of a substance to Innes Lad to cause the elevated level.
Costs have yet to be decided.
Lance Justice had his first drive since he was badly injured six months ago when he partnered Smoken Up in a trial at Melton on Monday.
Justice fractured his left leg in two places and broke his right ankle in a fall at Melton on December 23.
Smoken Up has not raced since he won his third successive Len Smith Mile at Menangle on April 28 when driven by John Justice.
Justice is hoping to have Smoken Up resume racing at Melton tomorrow week.
