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Luckygray anything but

Trainer Trevor Andrews was in shock yesterday afternoon after he was forced to scratch Luckygray from the Belmont Sprint for the second year in succession because of an injury.

WA’s weight-for-age king was the hot $2.70 favourite on the TAB to continue on his winning way, after his first up victory in last Saturday week’s wfa Roma Cup (1200m), in tomorrow’s $150,000 Belmont Sprint (1400m), which is will be run for the first time at wfa.

Andrews yesterday was pumped for Luckygray to post his second win in the Group 3 Belmont Park feature, after receiving a glowing report from race rider Shaun O’Donnell following the seven-year-old’s early morning track work at Ascot.

“Shaun came back off the track saying he felt super,” Andrews said “I had runners in Northam, but I didn’t go because I wanted to take him for a walk this afternoon.

“When I went into his yard I found him standing on three legs.

“I immediately rang the vet and his off-side front shoe was pulled off.

“He found a pulse and when they pressured it puss came out.

“I can’t believe an abscess could come on that quick.

“He needed pain relief and has a poultice on the hoof.”

It was the second time bad luck struck Andrews in less than a week. Last Saturday his Belmont Guineas chance Outlaw Pete was scratched from his race because of a high temperature.

Andrews had to scratch Luckygray from the Belmont Sprint last year when he injured his hind leg after escaping his handler following a dip at the Ascot swimming pool.

“This injury is not career-threatening, but it has ended his campaign because he couldn’t go second up into a mile race now without this run,” Andrews said. “He has had anti-inflamatory and the hoof has been poulticed.

“He will be out now until the spring.”

Luckygray, who missed the chance for a third Railway Stakes because of injury last year, was due to have his final run in the Hyperion Stakes (1600m) on June 13.

The Darren McAuliffe-trained Fuchsia Bandana was promoted from $4 to the new $2.50 favourite following a reshuffle of betting for the eight-horse field.

Shining Knight eclipses Balmont Girl for second favouritism at $4.50 with the latter now at $6.

Wagering manager Ben Pomatti said bets taken on Luckygray will be refunded, but there was likely to be deductions on the payout.

“There may be deductions but we won’t know to what extent those deductions are until tomorrow,” Pomatti said.