Racing: Broken jaw won't change Kristov plans

A broken jaw is not expected to alter spring racing plans for top galloper Kristov.

Waikato trainer and part-owner Phil Stevens says he does not know how Kristov broke his jaw but the horse is already on the mend.

Stevens, who trains at Matamata, said the first sign of injury was discovered when he found blood about the horse's stable box last Saturday.

"I first noticed a lot of blood in his box and it was only when I got the vet to check him out that we realised he had broken his jaw," Stevens said.

"It's the same box he's occupied for the last three years and I've looked everywhere but can't see where he's done it.

"We figure he must have grabbed something and got a fright at the same time."

Stevens said Kristov had his jaw wired on Monday and would swim for several days before resuming normal training.

"Luckily it's in the front of his jaw, forward of where the [mouth] bit goes," Stevens said.

"The vets were able to operate on him under local anaesthetic and he's been a brilliant patient. He came home last night [Monday] and licked his bowl clean."

Kristov, who was known as the "Mr Consistent" of New Zealand racing, outperformed that label when he twice won at group one level this year.

Those wins were in the weight-for-age events of the $100,000 Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February and the $150,000 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie in March.

The 6-year-old gelding, by Slavic, has finished first or second in 31 of his 43 starts.

Overall his record is 14 wins, 17 seconds and five thirds.

Stevens said he hoped Kristov would run in a planned trials race at Te Teko on August 1.

He was being targeted at the Hawkes Bay spring group treble, which begins with the $200,000 Mudgway Stakes (1400m) at Hastings on September 2.

- NZPA