Reigning AG Hunter Cup and NZ Cup champion Arden Rooney will miss the Ballarat Pacing Cup.
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Ballarat and District Trotting Club chief executive officer Paul Rowse said trainer Kerryn Manning had informed him her stable superstar had suffered a setback and would not line up in the $120,000 cup on Saturday, January 23 as planned.
He said it was disappointing news.
“He would have been a major drawcard heading towards a defence of Hunter Cup title.”
Arden Rooney has not raced since winning NZ Trotting Cup in early November, when he held on to beat home NZ ‘s Smolda.
He was set to renew his rivalry with Smolda in the group 1 $120,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup.
While there will be no Arden Rooney, Horsham Pacing Cup winner Keayang Steamer is being targeted at Ballarat by Terang trainer Marg Lee.
Keayang Steamer took his second Horsham Cup on Sunday.
He has returned to the track from a lengthy break in impressive style, winning four of six starts, including the group 3, Maryborough Cup, Sokyola Sprint and group 2 Treuer Memorial at Bankstown.
Lee said Ballarat was a likely lead up to the Victoria Cup and Hunter Cups in the following two weeks at Melton.
BALLARAT trainer Darren Weir had a treble with a difference at Warrnambool gallops on Sunday.
Weir provided English apprentice jockey Kevin Stott with his first Australian success. Stott combined with High Hostess in a maiden, 1400m.
Stott, who worked for Luca Cumani in England, said he had outridden his UK claim with a career tally of 82 winners and was lured to Australia and Jarrod McLean’s stables at Warrnambool.
The treble takes Weir’s winning tally for the season to 146 nationally.
He is well on target to exceed his previous best of 297.5, achieved last season, with the season not reaching halfway until the end of this month.