Spiro has been scratched from the $40,000 Great Autumn Handicap at Riccarton today after injuring himself in the float coming from Levin.
Spiro, who has an aversion to travelling, kicked out several times during the trip, bursting a blood vessel in a hind leg.
Sylvia Kay, his trainer, treated the horse on arrival in Christchurch and bandaged his leg.
She worked the gelding on Thursday and yesterday but he failed to respond to the treatment.
The 6yr-old will return to Levin tomorrow.
Champion Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller has accepted the ride on star Queensland sprinter Buffering in the group one BTC Cup and group one Doomben 10,000 later this month, AAP reports.
Rawiller was approached last week to ride the son of Mossman in the BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday week.
Damian Browne has been the regular rider of Buffering and rode in Adelaide last Saturday when Buffering was due to start in the washed-out group two Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm.
Jim Byrne deputised aboard Buffering when the gelding romped home by seven lengths in the weight-for-age Coca-Cola Amatil Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
"He's been racing against the best two sprinters in the world in Black Caviar and Hay List," trainer Robert Heathcote said.
Rawiller dominated the Sydney autumn carnival but on Wednesday the premier jockey was warned to take a look at his riding style after being fined a total of $700.
Rawiller was fined $400 for raising his arm above shoulder height when using the whip aboard More Joyous winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday, the seventh group one success for the jockey at the carnival.
He was then issued another $300 fine for the same infringement aboard Flying Zero after that horse was narrowly beaten in a race at Canterbury on Wednesday.
"It's something that you are going to have to address with your technique," acting chief steward Greg Rudolph said.
"Raising your arm above shoulder height is against the rules.
