Stem cell therapy for sidelined star Smoko
Sprinter Smoko will have stem cell therapy at Murdoch Veterinary Hospital to a strained suspensory ligament in his off-foreleg.
Vets found Smoko had strained the ligament when he pulled up sore following his shock sixth as a $2 favourite to Shining Knight in last Tuesday's Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot.
Co-trainer Ross Price said Smoko would be sidelined for months.
"He will go to Murdoch where they will look at him and see about stem cell therapy," he said.
"In about 10 days we will take him up there and see what they can do. It is then going to be five months off and hoping."
Smoko was a $6.50 chance in Saturday week's Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) before he was scratched. WA's hopes of winning back the Group 1 weight-for-age hinge on Magnifisio, Shining Knight and Testamezzo, with Barakey in doubt after struggling to recover from a virus.
"He is still feeling flat and I will have to wait and see if he improves over the next few days," trainer Jim Taylor said.
Magnifisio firmed from $12 into $8 on the TAB yesterday following her strong win at her debut over 1400m in Saturday's Group 2 Lee-Steere Stakes at Ascot.
Melbourne sprinters Angelic Light, Moment Of Change and reigning champion Buffering dominate betting at $4.30, $6.50 and $7.50.
Moment Of Change's managing owner Rob Slade said the gelding would run in the Winterbottom after his top effort to run fifth in Saturday's Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington. He also is entered in the Railway Stakes.
"It was a very good effort down the straight," Slade said. "He is better suited when he can round a bend.
"He lost momentum when he was bumped by the winner at the 200m. It screwed him out."
Moment Of Change will stay for the Scahill Stakes (1400m) on December 6.
WATC Derby-winning jockey Ben Melham will ride Caulfield Sprint winner Bel Sprinter in the Winterbottom.
Trainer Jason Warren said the seven-year-old had done well since his sixth to Deep Field and Driefontein in a Group 2 1200m sprint at Flemington last Saturday week.
Adelaide's premier trainer Phillip Stokes, fresh from a treble at Flemington on Saturday, including his first Group 1 success when WA-born jockey Dominic Tourneur piloted Hucklebuck to victory in the Emirates Stakes (1600m), is headed back to Perth.
Stokes brought Squillani here in 2002, when he ran 14th to Old Fashion in the 2002 Railway Stakes. He is looking at bringing the Macau-owned Eclair Big Bang, who won the Emirates Airline Hcp (1400m) on Saturday, over for the Winterbottom.
