Plymouth Chubb out of Trotting Grand Prix

Plymouth Chubb (Majestic Son) will miss the TAB Australian Trotting Grand Prix after a minor setback while in work at harness racing trainer Peter Manning’s Great Western property.

Manning told thetrots.com.au that the star four-year-old squaregaiter knocked his leg while jogging, and while it wasn’t anything serious, is enough to keep him out of this Saturday night’s feature at Tabcorp Park Melton.

“He bumped his leg, he was only on the lead on the side (but) it swelled up a little bit, so I decided not to start him,” Manning said.

“It probably would have been alright by then, but I had to either accept or not and I decided not to.”

The news is a big blow for Plymouth Chubb’s connections as the horse was in contention for a crack at the $50,000 Aurora Australis bonus.

Plymouth Chubb currently sits eight points behind leader Just Believe heading into the eighth and final leg of the series – the Grand Prix – this weekend.

Victory in the race would have secured the last-start Knight Pistol winner overall success in the trotting series and a big cash windfall for his owners.

Just Believe (Orlando Vici) can now do no worse than tie with Majestic Man for the Aurora Australis title. But for Majestic Man to salvage a share of the bonus on countback, he would need to win Saturday night’s Grand Prix and have Just Believe finish last of the nine runners.

That result would give both Just Believe and Majestic Man 24 points overall, with each having two wins, one second, one third and one ninth placing throughout the series.

Star mare Im Ready Jet and Just Believe came up with barriers one and two respectively for the Grand Prix, but have a number of speedy rivals ready to try and cross them at the start of Saturday night’s Group 1.

Sundons Courage (three), Mufasa Metro (four), Ollivici (five), Aldebaran Zeus (six) and Majestic Man (seven) also have front row draws, while Credit Master and Majestuoso are the two runners off the second line.

The $100,000 Grand Prix is the feature of Saturday’s Tabcorp Park card, alongside the three Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Series finals.

A Group 2 Gold Series decider – for trotting mares rated 67-120 – is a cracker, with defending champion Aldebaran Crescent joined in the race by Keayang Livana, Hopeful Beauty and Sleepee.

The Silver Final is for trotting mares rated between 52-66, while the Bronze Final is for four-year-old and older trotting mares with a NR up to 51.

The all-trotting meeting incorporates the annual WomenCan and Team Teal “Night at the Trots” function, with Ryan Phelan, Steve Cleave, Kirsten Graham and Dan Mielicki bringing you the action at TrotsVision.com.au.

AURORA AUSTRALIS LEADERBOARD

(1st – 8 points, 2nd – 5 points, 3rd – 3 points, 4th – 2 points and 5th – 1 point)

For complete race entries, click here.