Last night’s group 2 Canterbury Classic at Addington delivered triumph and adversity for the country’s two biggest pacing stars.
Reigning New Zealand Cup king Lazarus delivered a crushing reminder of exactly how good he is by winning, but the campaign of stablemate Heaven Rocks looks to be in tatters.
Heaven Rocks finished last and pulled up with a suspected pastern injury. His racing future will be decided today after a veterinary exam to determine the extent of the injury.
Lazarus snuck quietly in to the 2600m race through a late entry, rather than via the trials. Even trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen were thinking the race had came around too quickly for the champion but Lazarus was able to sprint along the passing lane to beat Have Faith In Me.
‘‘I wasn’t expecting it first up, but he is just such a professional,’’ Purdon said.
‘‘He has certainly taken longer to get to this stage. He is more gross — he is a stallion now — but he is as good as he has ever been.’’
That means his New Zealand Cup-bound rivals will next face an even fitter Lazarus in the Ashburton Flying Stakes on Labour Day.
Earlier, the Phillip Iggotrained Bordeaux held off a big finish from Great Things Happen to win the group 3 Canterbury Park Cup handicap with Dexter Dunn the driver.
Though beaten, the Dominion-bound Great Things Happen could hardly have impressed racegoers or his trainer-driver, Gavin Smith, more.
‘‘He will improve a heap out of that. I could not be happier,’’ Smith said.
