By Michael Guerin
Don't try telling Chris McNab lightning does not strike twice in the same place.
Because in the past week his stable has copped both barrels from the gods of racing.
The Matamata trainer has lost his two stable stars - Moss Downs and Teheran - both in a matter of days.
Former weight-for-age gun Moss Downs may have fired his last shots after bowing a tendon in training last Tuesday, forcing him out of his comeback race at Te Rapa last Saturday and possibly into the retirement paddock.
As an 8-year-old Moss Downs always faced a fight to return to his best after a suspensory injury last year.
But he was thrilling McNab with his work and was expected to go close to winning at his planned return last Saturday.
"He isn't definitely retired but he'll have to go out for six months and that'll make it tough to come back," McNab said.
But things went from bad to worse for McNab last week with scintillating juvenile Teheran being sold to Hong Kong where he will join the Tony Cruz stable.
Unbeaten in three starts, Teheran looked an early favourite for next season's classics after three superb wins since debuting in March, his latest under 58kgs at Te Rapa last month.
"He really is a freak of a horse. He could be anything," McNab said yesterday.
"It is a shame to lose a horse like him but his owner, Rob McAnulty, is a trader and you have to sell them if the price is right."
The price obviously was right as bloodstock brain McAnulty admits he is in love with Teheran.
"But to match the sort of money I got for him he would have had to have won the Great Northern Guineas, 2000 Guineas, NZ Derby and the International at Te Rapa," McAnulty said.
But McAnulty says there could be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for McNab.
The former astute jockey, who has now been based in Matamata for 18 months, could be entrusted with McAnulty's favourite yearling buy this year.
The impressive colt is a half-brother to Cox Plate winner Solvit by Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch.
Purchased at the Queensland Magic Millions for $80,000, he could be one of the smartest buys of the sales series, especially with Thunder Gulch's stock averaging close to $400,000 at the Karaka sale in February.
"I really like him and I think he could end up with Chris," McAnulty said.
Horse Racing: Teheran second leg of McNab's double trouble
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.