Horse Racing

Tim Martin’s veteran Zabeel seven-year-old Scouting Wide has been scratched from the Christmas Cup 2011 field due to minor injury leaving 11 stayers to fight it out in the Rosehill Gardens feature this Saturday.

Winner of the 2009 Christmas Cup, Scouting Wide was out for their second win in the $100,000 Listed feature with their local Rosehill-based trainer Martin hopeful of a form return from the gallant old galloper.

A specialist at the track and 2400 metre distance, Scouting Wide was one of the top fancies in the 2011 Christmas Cup odds paying $9.50 through Luxbet at the time of their withdrawal from the field and markets.

It has been a dry past 18 months for Scouting Wide’s connections as the horse hasn’t won a race since the Listed WJ McKell Cup, run over the Christmas Cup track and distance, back in May of 2010.

This season they have run three times, all at Rosehill, but have failed to finish better than fifth.

They were last seen crossing sixth to Revolt when carrying a hefty 63kg from the extreme outside barrier (13 of 13) in a Benchmark 80 over 2000 metres last Saturday.

“He had to go back from the wide barrier but finished off really well,” Martin said of Scouting Wide’s last-start effort.

Martin had no choice but to scratch them from Saturday’s race, however, after they bumped themselves on Wednesday and failed to improve overnight without treatment.

“We waited overnight hoping it would be alright but we had to treat it so he can’t run,” Martin said.

“It’s disappointing.”

While out of the Christmas Cup, Martin believes Scouting Wide will recover in time to take their place in either the $175,000 Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) Saturday week at Warwick Farm or a Benchmark 80 event at the meeting leading up to the $125,000 Group 3 Summer Cup (2400m) back a Rosehill on Boxing Day.

“I think he will be OK to run next week and then back up in the Summer Cup.

“He will go to either the Villiers or a Benchmark 80 over 2200 metres.”

Scouting Wide was drawn in barrier 11 of 12 for Saturday, their scratching seeing Steve Englebrecth’s Reset six-year-old Assertive Billy, shooting for their third win on the trot, move in from barrier 12 to 11.

Christmas Cup betting is currently lead by Cindy Alderson’s in-form Melbourne visitor Sea Galleon ($3.20 Luxbet) coming off a four length victory at Sandown a fortnight ago while and the Peter Snowden-trained Yulalona ($3.80 Luxbet) last seen running second in the Frank Underwood Cup.

See below for the updated 2011 Stowe Australia Pty Ltd Christmas Cup field.

Check out the newly released odds on the race, as well as all the other events at Rosehill this Saturday, at Luxbet and get a $400 bonus bet to use on a race of your choice simply by signing up, depositing and quoting the codeword BONUSBET.

Updated 2011 Christmas Cup Field

Rosehill Race 6 – 10/12/2011 – 4:25pm