Racing: King's reign likely over

King Kenny's career is almost certainly over after injuring a suspensory ligament during a race...
King Kenny's career is almost certainly over after injuring a suspensory ligament during a race at Addington on Friday night. Photo by Matt Smith.
A tough night at the office at Addington on Friday did not end with good news for Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson.

Anderson took two horses - Ballindooley and King Kenny - for the feature meeting off the back of excellent trial form at Rangiora on Sunday.

But it all started to unravel just before the start of race 8.

Ballindooley left the track without having a run after being late-scratched in the Maurice Holmes Vase and King Kenny's career is all but over after injuring a suspensory ligament - albeit in a different leg to the three suspensory injuries he suffered earlier in his career.

''He's almost at the end of it,'' Anderson said yesterday.

''He's probably finished now. We'll just put him out to recuperate, but I'd say that will be it.''

Anderson trained the son of Pegasus Spur to seven of his nine wins.

Those wins in Anderson's colours came between January 2013 and June this year.

His last win - at Oamaru on June 15 - ranks highly for Anderson, along with a 6-length win at Winton last year in the Cox Family Memorial Trot at Winton.

''He slayed them that day and his last couple of wins were pretty good. At Oamaru he went around [after starting off 50m] and sat parked and went a good time.''

Anderson was pleased to get the horse to train from Canterbury trainer Tim Butt in what was a replica of the movement of seven-win trotter Ants from Butt to Anderson in 2008.

''It was good to get him to train, and if things had gone right, he could have gone all the way,'' he said.

''On reflection, he probably never realised his potential and he was probably looking after himself in the last couple of starts.''

Ballindooley surprised Anderson by rearing and falling at the start of the group 3 Maurice Holmes Vase.

''He's very quiet, and usually very good at the start,'' Anderson said.

''But he had to stand there for a long time.''

The horse's overcheck (which is attached between the back and the head) got caught around the shaft of the sulky, and he was a late scratching on veterinary advice.

The 7yr-old has been nominated for the group 3 Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on Sunday, and will start from barrier 5 in the 2600m free-for-all pace.

Two-time winner Franco Ledger is back to have a crack at a third straight win in the $25,000 feature and is joined in the nine-horse field by the talented Tiger Tara and Jason Rulz, who ran the placings behind Christen Me in the Maurice Holmes Vase.

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