Saturday’s Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) favourite Showmanship (NZ) (Showcasing) is out for the spring with a tendon injury that has halted an exciting run of six-straight victories.
Owner-breeder Bob Peters said from Western Australia on Tuesday evening that it was difficult to gauge how bad the injury was and how long the horse will need to recuperate.
“Every tendon is bad,” Peters lamented. “It’s a bit of a different one. One tendon is a lot thicker than the other one.
“I haven’t experienced one of these before. I’ve had longitudinal ones and plenty of tears, but they are hard to measure these ones.”
Showmanship has won seven of his eight races, with his past two victories at both Caulfield and The Valley suggesting he was right in contention for Saturday’s Group One.
Bred by Haunui Farm, Showmanship was sold through their 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select yearling draft to bloodstock agent John Chalmers for $145,000.
