Racing: Millionaire pacer's career under cloud

Just An Excuse has won two New Zealand Cups. Picture / Simon Baker

Harness racing's season of carnage continues with champion pacer Just An Excuse the latest to fall.

And trainer Robert Mitchell admits this latest setback could herald the end of the line for the dual New Zealand Cup winner.

Just An Excuse will be scratched from Saturday's Auckland Cup today and will be sent to Massey University's famed veterinary centre to try to diagnose the exact nature of a severe breathing problem.

The great pacer finished a breathless seventh, over 10 lengths from the winner, Lord Vader, in the Summer Cup at Alexandra Park, on Friday night.

He returned to the stabling area struggling to breathe normally, leading Mitchell to believe he could even have a soft palate problem.

"We don't know what is wrong at this stage but it isn't good," said Mitchell. "He definitely won't start in the cup and unless we can get to the bottom of it pretty quickly then he won't race again for a while."

The problem comes just six weeks after Just An Excuse bled in training before the New Zealand Cup, indicating the warrior's old body is starting to show the signs of a courageous career.

Hoping for the best, Mitchell advises owner Ollie Haines to still pay nomination fee for the rich Interdominions series in March but he is not over-confident of getting there.

"Best-case scenario it might be something treatable and we can have him back racing in six weeks. But when you have been around horses as long as we have you know when something is wrong and I have a feeling he might be out for a while.

"I suppose we have to face up to the fact he might be coming to the end of the line."

While Just An Excuse had not been at his awesome peak this season he is still one of the best pacers in Australasia and the depleted open-class ranks cannot afford to lose a pacer of his class.

Already this season, champion Elsu has been retired, Sly Flyin has broken down and exciting newcomer Mi Muchacho is out indefinitely with a pelvic problem.

With New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner unlikely to race in open class much this season, the elite ranks are looking the weakest in a decade, maybe two.

Just An Excuse's withdrawal is likely to see Alta Serena shorten into around $3 favouritism for Saturday's $200,000 Auckland Cup.

She was already at $3.50 after winning the Queen of Hearts at Alexandra Park last Friday while other key contenders battled in the Summer Cup.

No excuse

* Just An Excuse is the latest pacing star to be sidelined.

* He will miss Saturday's Auckland Trotting Cup with a breathing problem.

* Trainer Robert Mitchell says the dual New Zealand Cup winner could even miss the Interdominions in March.

* Alta Serena is now the dominant favourite for the Auckland Cup.