Less than a month from the race every Cantabrian wants to win most, Chapman has been forced to pull his pride and joy Locharburn out of the New Zealand Trotting Cup. "It looks like he suffered an atrial fibrillation, so his Cup campaign is over," said the owner-trainer. "Some horses can fibrillate and race the next week but I wouldn't take that chance with a horse as good as him, racing horses as good as he has to. "If he recovers quickly he could still make the free-for-all [November 11] but we won't know that for a while." Locharburn joins Australian Philadelphia Man as the high-profile pacers out of a Cup, which looks certain not to attract a full field of 15.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 10, 2016 15:45 UTC