Ready As, who ws being aimed at a Guyra Cup/Armidale Cup double, finished seventh to All Again in Friday’s Quirindi Cup but was lame on Sunday and found to have a suspensory problem.

Trainer and managing owner Wayne Smyth had to advise his fellow owners the seven-year-old stallion, who had won five of his 35 starts for more than $200,000 in prizemoney, had run his last race.

It was Smyth’s 53rd birthday to boot.

The news wasn’t as serious from Armidale about the Keith Hiscox-trained Derivative Receipt.

“I was just down at the stables and he was all taped up,” Armidale Jockey Club secretary Jim Dedes said.

“I’m not sure how bad it is but he is very doubtful about running in the Armidale Cup now and will probably go for a spell.

“It’s a shame for both horses – they would have been well backed.”

While disappointed for Hiscox, Smyth and their various owners, Dedes is preparing for a big carnival when his Armidale Jockey Club stages this Saturday’s matinee TAB

meeting.

The first of the carnival’s three meetings, the West Armidale Business Houses meeting, has seven races of $9000 apiece with a total of 123

nominations.

“They were good noms apart from the 1100m Open,” Dedes said.

“It’s the only one light on and has been extended until 11am tomorrow (today). We go three weeks in a row now – the 6th, 14th and 22nd.

“And we have almost $300,000 in prizemoney.

“Seven races of $9000 this Saturday, then Guyra Cup Day (March 14) we have six of $9000, a $10,000 Armidale Cup Prelude (1900m) for which the winner is exempt from ballot in the Armidale Cup and then the $20,000 Watson, McNamara and Watt Guyra Cup (1400m).

“On Armidale Cup day we have not only the $25,000 Tooheys Armidale Cup (1900m) but also the $15,000 Armidale Newmarket (1100m) and the $12,000 Armidale Slipper (1100m).

o Nominations page 33