Bonecrusher out of Cup

Press, 21 November 1986, Page 1

Bonecrusher out of Cup

From

JEFF SCOTT

1 in Tokyo New Zealanders suffered a bitter blow yesterday when it became apparent that Bonecrusher would not take his place in the Japan Cup on Sunday. „ "When barrier positions for the Cup were announced last evening Bonecrusher was not included in the field. What a morning it was for the trainer, Frank Ritchie; owner, Peter Mitchell; rider, Gary Stewart; and strapper, Shaun Ritchie (a son of the trainer). Gary Stewart summed things up when he said, “Yesterday he was going to win by five lengths, this morning he was lucky to live. I have never seen a horse come down with something like that.” After arriving at the Tokyo racecourse in good spirits to work Bonecrusher, the likely Cup

favourite, the connections wgre reduced from being “on top of the world” to forgetting about the 1986 Japan Cup and taking all appropriate measures to get their star back to health. “We immediately knew something was wrong” said Shaun Ritchie, comforting a distressed Bonecrusher. "Last night at 10, I took him for a short walk around the stables and he was jumping out of his skin, but this morning he was backed up against the rail looking very listless.” Veterinary surgeons have diagnosed that Bonecrusher has a thorax (chest) infection, and there is no chance that the New Zealand champion could recover in time for a testing 2400 m race on Sunday. The connections have been told that the horse is out of danger. However, Frank Ritchie was still

“not really happy” with Bonecrusher’s condition yesterday afternoon. Messrs Ritchie and Mitchell were to stay at the racecourse last evening and Ritchie jun. will sleep the night in Bonecrusher’s box. “Unless there is definitely a steady fall in his temperature, I will be up taking his temperature every hour. I won’t be able to sleep anyway,” said Frank Ritchie. Bonecrusher’s temperature has remained about 40.5 deg. His normal temperature is 38deg. It is considered that horses

can die if the fever reaches 43deg. “There is no question of the horse’s being got at,” said the owner, Peter Mitchell. “The Japanese have bent over backwards to help us.” Meanwhile, New Zealand’s other ambassador, Waverley Star, worked well yesterday morning, and has drawn barrier No. 9 in the Japan Cup. The Matamata-trained chestnut was given a solid workout over 2000 m in 2:7 on Wednesday morning and will be restricted to light work until Sunday’s race.