Temperature spike rules Crocetti out of Concorde

[Wandering Eyes]

Saturday’s Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe will be missing one of its headline acts after a temperature spike forced Crocetti to be withdrawn.

The dual Group One winner has been off the scene since being unplaced in The Quokka (1200m) in Perth in late April, and he had been due to step out for his first start of the season in this season’s $120,000 sprint feature. A brilliant exhibition gallop at Ellerslie last Saturday stamped him as the one to beat.

But Wednesday morning’s setback has put Crocetti’s racetrack return on hold.

“We just found this morning that he had a bit of an elevated temperature,” co-trainer Danny Walker explained. “So we had no choice but to pull the pin. It’s always a bit frustrating and disappointing when things like that happen, but that’s the way it goes.”

Walker and training partner Arron Tata still intend for Crocetti to take his place in the starting gate for the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on January 3, for which the TAB rates him a $6 equal favourite alongside Tomodachi.

“All going well, we’re still hoping to get him down to Wellington for the Telegraph, but we’ll just have to play it by ear in terms of what we do between now and then,” Walker said. “We’ll get him through this first and then take it from there.”

Crocetti’s defection leaves a field of just eight for the Concorde on Saturday – Twain, Sacred Satono, Tardelli, Master Fay, Midnight Edition, Imprevu, Moving Melody and Bak Da Angel

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