Talented colt Scissor Kick has been removed from the 2015 Royal Randwick Guineas field after being found with an elevated temperature this morning.
Scissor Kick will not take his place in 2015 Royal Randwick Guineas at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Trainer Paul Messara was very bullish about the chances of Scissor Kick heading into the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) after he finally drew a positive barrier, but the Redoute’s Choice colt was found with an elevated temperature and Messara was forced to scratch the three-year-old at the advice of vets.
Scissor Kick had been one of the best-backed runners in 2015 Royal Randwick Guineas betting markets heading into the Group 1 event and many punters rated the colt an excellent chance to upset the leading trio of Hallowed Crown, Shooting To Win and Sweynesse.
The talented colt stamped himself as a horse to watch when he scored a strong win in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 9 and he proved that was no fluke when he took out the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick a fortnight later.
Scissor Kick made his debut at Group 1 level in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13 and he finished a close second behind Hallowed Crown despite having little luck in running before he once again had no luck when second in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26.
The three-year-old was sent to the spelling paddock after he finished ninth in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1 and he returned to the races with a fast-finishing victory in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) before he finished a credible fifth in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at the same venue a fortnight later.
The withdrawal of Scissor Kick from the Royal Randwick Guineas has shortened the price of the remaining six runners in the race, but Hallowed Crown and Shooting To Win remain locked in a battle for favouritism at a quote of $2.60.
Sweynesse has been backed from $4 into $3.40 and is still on the third line of betting, while there has been a sprinkling of support for the lightly-raced Sworn To Silence ($18 into $13), Victoria Derby winner Preferment ($61 into $31) and Kembla Grange-based Rhodin Drive ($101 into $41).
