"He is all but sold. He has been vetted and I took him out of the Timaru meeting on Sunday. It is part of the deal that he will not race again in New Zealand," Alex Cowan, his Ashburton trainer, said.
Star Son has yet to be withdrawn from the Winter Cup.
Star Son is owned by brothers Barry and Brian Kirk, of Ashburton.
They bought the Seasoned Star-Alight 4yr-old gelding for $5000 as a 2yr-old at the South Island sale.
• Birchwood Run completed his racing preparation for the New Zealand Grand National Hurdles on August 5 with a comfortable win in a maiden steeplechase yesterday.
"That was ideal. I did not want him to have too hard a run," Christine Eagle, his Foxton co-trainer, said.
Birchwood Run, winner of the Awapuni Hurdles and runner-up in the Hawkes Bay Hurdles last month, settled last in a six-horse field yesterday, improved to second on the inner at the 800m and came clear from the last fence.
His Omarama part-owner, Ron Williamson, who advanced the case for a steeplechase, was satisfied.
"Some good hurdlers have won a maiden steeplechase," Williamson said.
A life member of Gallop South, Williamson sponsored the Otago Steeplechase yesterday.
He was owner of Boroma, winner of the Otago Steeples in 1996 and 1997.
• Kevin Myers, the Wanganui trainer, won the three other jumping races yesterday, the Otago Steeplechase (Asset Stripper), Otago Hurdles (Pasco) and the maiden hurdles (Gauchito Bastado).
Gauchito Bastado was having his first race since he won the 2007 New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase.
The Istidaad gelding, owned by Dr John Moore, of Wanganui, was sidelined with a tendon injury after that race.
He had his return to racing further delayed with another tendon injury in a fresh preparation last season.
He tracked the pacemaker Come On Jimmy for much of the way yesterday and came ahead after the leader The Guttersnipe fell at the second last fence.
Pasco, raced by Bill and Helen Bishop, of Christchurch with Peter and Sylvia Kay, of Otaki, recorded his 18th win in 107 starts when he mastered 70.5kg.
The Strike Diamonds rising 10yr-old was diagnosed with a heart problem after being pulled up in the Waikato Hurdles on May 16.
Pasco and Asset Stripper were ridden by Isaac Lupton.
He has confirmed the mount on Triplepan in the Grand National Steeplechase.
He rode Triplepan to win the Wellington Steeplechase last Saturday.
Lupton rode Gauchito Bastado in his National win.
Joanne Rathbone had the mount yesterday.
The Myers horses have been at Riccarton in the care of Marton trainer Ashley Meadows, who prepared Kiwi Green to finish third in the maiden hurdles yesterday. Myers has Balmuse engaged at the Washdyke meeting tomorrow.
The weather will determine in which race Turf Fire will start at Washdyke tomorrow.
"It depends on the weather. If it stays fine and the track remains good, she will start in the open sprint," Michael Daly, her trainer said.
Turf Fire, a last-start winner at Washdyke on June 26, is also an acceptor for the rating 80 1200m.
