Club, Purdon at odds over nail

Auckland Trotting Club officials believe they have identified the source of a carpenter’s nail that punctured, and lodged in, star filly Princess Tiffany’s offside hind hoof at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

But her co-trainer, champion horseman Mark Purdon, is inclined to take a different stance. The incident happened before, during or after the running of the Group 1 Caduceus Club Fillies Classic on Friday night.

‘‘The ATC has conducted a full-scale investigation and have found via the farrier who extracted the nail that the nail must have come in with the new shell placed on the track that week as the nail was caked in shell when he removed it,’’ said CEO Dominique Dowding.

Immediate measures have been taken to ensure there is no repeat at this Friday night’s premier meeting or beyond.

‘‘The ATC is now engaging a metal scanning company to scan thoroughly the track, float park and the stables to ensure these areas are safe. The shell company will be notified as well to

‘‘At this stage she is 100 percent sound, so let’s hope we’ve dodged a bullet.’’ Trainer Mark Purdon

ensure that this never happens again.’’ Princess Tiffany showed tremendous courage and tenacity to contest and win the race. Her driver and co-trainer, Natalie Rasmussen, stated postrace that she felt the filly prop and stumble in the warm-up, which is when she believes the incident to have occurred.

Despite the pain it caused once she cooled down, the structural damage to her foot was relatively minor, the real threat being subsequent infection.

Swift farrier and veterinary attention has seen her likely avoid that with her other cotrainer, Mark Purdon, confirming on Monday afternoon that the danger zone has nearly passed. ‘‘At this stage she is 100 percent sound, so let’s hope we’ve dodged a bullet.

‘‘It’s the sort of thing where you will know within three to four days if there is an infection.

‘‘So, we are keeping our fingers crossed the antibiotics she got straight away have done the trick.’’ Purdon isn’t so sure about the ATC’s claims, however, and believes the likely culprit was the building site at the top of the home straight.

‘‘It’s probably more likely that it has come from the building that is going on,’’ he said.

Purdon acknowledged a call from Dowding on Saturday to check in on the filly’s health and soundness and to assure him and Rasmussen that the club would be proactive in resolving the situation. Princess Tiffany will likely tackle the Group 1 $150,000 Sires Stakes Fillies Championship this Friday night, a race that she will start favourite in if cleared to start by vets.

Stablemate Luby Lou will not tackle the Group 1 $100,000 Northern Trotting Derby. She had not recovered sufficiently after taking skin of her legs in a paddock accident last week.