The leading 3yr-old last season when he won the Great Northern Derby, Sires' Stakes Final and a Sale series race in Auckland, Stunin Cullen failed to measure up when taken to Australia late last year.
His best effort in three starts was a second at Cranbourne on January 2 at his last outing.
"He was operated on by veterinarian Alister McLean in Melbourne after it was found that his epiglottis was ballooning and cutting off his air," Anthony Butt, his driver, said.
"They found the problem when they put a camera down his throat at the end of a scope and filmed while he was working."
The epiglottis is a cartiliginous plate behind the tongue which prevents food entering the larynx.
Stunin Cullen was spelled for three months after the operation.
• Trainer Jim Curtin is prepared to start the unbeaten Franco Emirate out of his class at Addington on Friday for a higher stake.
"I would like to give him a chance at a decent stake," Curtin said.
The 3yr-old, who has won his four starts, is assessed as a one-win horse for handicapping.
He has been entered for a $15,000 race for 2w horses on Friday.
The alternative is an $8000 1w race at Oamaru on Sunday.
• Trainer Kirk Larsen has turned out Elmer Fudd.
The 3yr-old came close to qualifying for the Harness Jewels with $36,675 in earnings this season from six wins and six placings in 14 starts.
"He had been racing since September and has done a good job," Larsen said.
Larsen won with Deal On The Day and Newcombe at Forbury Park last Friday.
• Owner-breeder Brian West is enjoying a stellar season with Secret Potion and Lancome, the 3yr-old fillies, after an inglorious start to horse ownership 29 years ago.
The first horse he tried, Pride Of Time, a Timely Knight-Harbour's Pride filly, foaled in 1979, did not race and he gave her away as a hack.
• Jockey Michael Walker (26) has decided to settle in Brisbane from next season.
Walker is riding in Queensland during its winter carnival and has had discussions with leading trainers there about a permanent shift.
"I have not made this decision lightly but all the arrows have been pointing in this direction in the past few months," Walker said on his website yesterday.
He said his manager, Hugh Crawford, supported his decision. From discussions "with people like leading trainers Rob Heathcote, Barry Baldwin and Brian Smith, I am sure it is the right move".
• Mark Du Plessis, the Auckland jockey, continued a fine season when he won the $S1 million ($NZ1.36) million KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore on the New Zealand-bred Green Birdie.
The 6yr-old son of Catbird-Mrs Squillionaire was bred by the Whakanui Stud, Cambridge, operated by Tim and Karen Bodle.
Green Birdie is trained in Hong Kong by South African Caspar Fownes.
Du Plessis was born in Zimbabwe and was the leading apprentice and jockey there.
He emigrated to New Zealand in 1998 and subsequently rode in Singapore where he topped the premiership in 2006.
He is second in the NZ premiership this season. He is en route to Hong Kong for a short-term contract.
• Opie Bosson, the latest jockey to ride 1000 winners in New Zealand, wants to continue his success.
He became the 22nd jockey to achieve the milestone when he rode I Am Sam at New Plymouth on Saturday.
He has ridden 116 winners this season, including four group one races.
He won the Guineas double on Katie Lee at Riccarton in November, and is third in the premiership.
Bosson had his first win on Fairlie Airlie at Gisborne on November 17, 1995.
Fairlie Airlie was trained by Stephen Autridge, to whom Bosson was apprenticed.
Bosson had a record 128 wins as an apprentice during the 1997-98 season.
The following season, while still an apprentice, he won the group one VRC Oaks at Flemington on Grand Archway.
Bosson (29) said he should have reached 1000 winners earlier.
He has had enforced layoffs, mainly through weight problems and a four-month disqualification when he provided fellow jockey Bruce Herd with a urine sample in 2008.
His weight had stabilised, which he attributed to a more balanced lifestyle.
"I just want to keep on riding winners and getting group ones."
Bosson has been engaged to ride Barinka in the $200,000 gr two Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 5.
He has had more than 100 victories in Australia, Singapore and Macau, and has ridden 103 group and listed winners in New Zealand.
• Other jockeys to ride 1000 or more NZ winners. - Lance O'Sullivan, Bill Skelton, David Peake, David Walsh, Bob Skelton, Noel Harris, Jim Collett, Bill Broughton, Grenville Hughes, Chris Johnson, Garry Phillips, Peter Johnson, Gary Grylls, Bill Ellis, Maurice Campbell, Paul Richards, Michael Coleman, Darryl Bradley, Bruce Herd, Michael Walker and Hayden Tinsley.
