A 'one in a million' accident could see Spring Champion Stakes favourite Rhyno Chaser scratched from Saturday's Group One race at Randwick.
Trainer Kevin Moses said Rhyno Chaser was no better than a 50-50 chance to line up in the Spring Champion Stakes, a race in which he holds favouritism in some markets, after pulling up sore from a track work on Thursday morning.
Moses will decide on Saturday morning whether to scratch the horse after either he or jockey Danny Nikolic partners the horse in a track gallop.
The three-year-old stepped on a nail as he left Randwick last Saturday following his victory in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1800m).
The injury, to nearside front leg, had responded positively to treatment over the weekend and earlier this week but alarm bells were raised on Thursday when he was put under pressure in the final furlong of a 1000m track gallop.
"If it was today he wouldn't be racing. At this stage he wouldn't be racing but we've still got another 48 hours to go," Moses told Sportal.
Moses cannot use antibiotics on the colt as that would remain in his system on race day but is hopeful continued treatment with salt solutions and a dip at the beach would aid his recovery.
"We're just hoping at this stage," he said.
Should Rhyno Chaser not take his place in the field that would leave Predatory Pricer, a younger half-brother to Takeover Target, as the clear favourite.
The pair had been the only two three-year-olds under double-figure odds.
The injury is a massive blow for Moses, who said Rhyno Chaser was otherwise a very strong chance in the race.
Paul Murray, the trainer of Predatory Pricer, said he wanted Moses' horse to run such is the confidence he has in his three-year-old.
"I don't think any of them can get near my fella," he said. "There's no such thing as a certainty but I think he is."
"He won the Gloaming on a slow pace and sprinted away from them. And if they put the pace on it won't worry him because he can still sprint at the end of a fast pace like he did in the Ming Dynasty."
Anthony Cummins was looking to upset the favourites with filly Miss Darcey, who ran a close-up fifth in the Gloaming.
"She wasn't that far away the other day in a similar sort of race and got the worst of the ground," he said.
"Hopefully she gets a more agreeable bit of turf to run on and we get a decent result."