KEY POINTS:
Don't Ya Lovett may race in the United States.
The massively talented galloper was officially retired from New Zealand racing when he bled for the second time in Saturday's $100,000 Opunake Cup at New Plymouth.
But trainer Allan Sharrock, perhaps predictably, yesterday received a call from an agent
asking if a deal could be put together to send the horse to race in America.
In Australia and New Zealand horses are banned for life after a second bleeding attack.
There is no such requirement in the United States where, additionally, horses are permitted to race on the anti-bleeding agent Lasix, a banned substance in this part of the world.
Remarkably, the best two horses racing on either side of the Tasman on Saturday both bled - Don't Ya Lovett and Lucky Secret, dashing winner of the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield.
Allan Sharrock and his fellow owners Bob Lovett and Butch Glover were resigned to retirement for Don't Ya Lovett until yesterday morning's phone call.
Sharrock was encouraged by the thought.
"I wouldn't say it won't happen.
"It would be a great thing if the boys could see him go around a few more times over there."
The technical term for bleeding in racehorses is exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage.
Lasix, a brandname, is a high-powered diuretic.
One of its effects is to eliminate excess fluid in a horse's respiratory system during a race.
It is said a horse can lose as much as 8kg in bodyweight during a race if it has Lasix in its system. Approximately half of the horses racing in the United States are on it.
There is a theory that Lasix could be used for masking other illicit performance-enhancing drugs.
A motivating factor for Sharrock and his partners is that the Taranaki trainer believes although Don't Ya Lovett is rising eight, he has had only 27 lifetime starts and has untapped potential.
"He's just a marvel. He had serious pelvic problems as a young horse," Sharrock said. "He's actually a 2000m horse - I gave him only one start over 2000m and he won it. He hasn't reached his potential."
Sharrock does not agree with the mud runner image Don't Ya Lovett has.
"He ran [1200m in] 1.10 as a young horse."
There are opportunities to race on grass in most parts of the United States although dirt racing is the predominant discipline.
"Some of the dirt surfaces have a bit of give in them, I wouldn't rule him out of racing on the dirt."
Melbourne trainer Tony Vasil was devastated that his unbeaten stable star Lucky Secret bled winning his seventh straight race at Caulfield on Saturday.
Vasil was giving interviews to the press when he was told.
Lucky Secret looked to suddenly switch off when in front 100m from the finish.
It appeared as though his relative inexperience had caused him to lose concentration, but clearly it was when the bleeding attack kicked in.
Before the race Vasil had outlined plans to set Lucky Secret for the rich Hong Kong International sprint in December, which now must be in doubt.
He is banned from working on a racetrack for the next two months and cannot race until October 22, limiting Vasil's opportunities to win a significant race to ensure the horse's selection for Hong Kong.
Sharrock has retired Go Thenaki after he finished seventh as beaten favourite in the hurdle race at New Plymouth on Saturday. "Don't Ya Lovett and Go Thenaki have been great horses to us - they won half a million dollars between them."
