Group One winning mare Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) is the latest elite-level performer to be ruled out of the spring.
The Ben Foote-trained daughter of El Roca finished a disappointing 10th when resuming in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) earlier this month and her sub-par work since has prompted Foote to pull pin on her spring campaign.
“The horse looks amazing, but I galloped her yesterday myself with Sam Collett riding Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) (stablemate) and I just wasn’t happy,” Foote said.
“I am going to do some further tests with the vet on Monday, because I don’t know what is going on.
“We are going to tip her out irrespective of what that reveals. She is a happy horse but there is something not right.”
Foote said in hindsight, the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner’s trial at Te Teko when finishing a pass-mark second was probably a sign that the four-year-old wasn’t at her best.
While Travelling Light wasn’t up to the mark in her hit-out on Saturday morning, Foote was delighted with year younger stablemate Babylon Berlin.
An easy winner of her only start when successful at Rotorua a couple of weeks ago, Babylon Berlin will contest the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings next weekend.
“She is 100 percent to go there (the Gold Trail),” Foote said.
“Her work was terrific, but given Travelling Light was below par, it is hard to get a true read. I think she is very good.”
