Trainer Kerry Parker with his injured horse Nextanix.
Mercury,Sport, Racing.Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker with his horse Nextanix at the stables ahead of the Goulburn Cup on Friday.16th November 2011. Pix Ken Robertson/krz, Story Adam Pengilly.
KERRY Parker will await the results of further scans on Nextanix's tendon injury before framing a comeback plan after his lightweight cups hope was ruled out for the spring.
The stakes-placed five-year-old was scratched from tomorrow's Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill when Parker discovered the problem yesterday.
Nextanix was being geared towards staying features in both Sydney and Melbourne, holding early nominations for The Metropolitan, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
"I haven't had a tendon injury for years. It's not a good time at all," Parker said. "At this stage we'll let it settle down and then scan it in a month or so.
"We won't make any more plans. Whatever the horse needs, we'll do."
Nextanix had caught the eye in two runs back in this campaign, flashing late to beat all but Kontiki Park home in the Spring Preview before a solid fifth behind Glencadam Gold in the Premier's Cup.
When quizzed on whether those runs had done enough to convince him a trip to Melbourne was viable, Parker said: "That was all on the cards.
"You just get him up and rolling, and then something like this happens. I was really looking forward to this preparation."
Parker will now turn his attention to Australian Oaks runner-up Aliyana Tilde, which will attempt to improve on a disappointing first-up run when she contests the Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle on Thursday.
The Snitzel mare also holds an early nomination for Melbourne's big three in spring.
Parker downplayed Planet Purple's hopes of lining up in the Group 3 Newcastle Cup during the two-day carnival at Broadmeadow.
"I'll probably run him in the [Benchmark] 65."