Lindsay Park‘s Golden Slipper hope Lankan Star will have to undergo a second veterinary inspection before she is confirmed to start to start in the $3.5 million race.
The Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up was found to be slightly restricted in her action in front when she was examined on Monday and will be looked at again later in the week.
Racing NSW vets Toby Koenig and James Mizzi inspected all the two-year-olds expected to be paid up as acceptances on Tuesday for Saturday’s race.
All were passed suitable apart from Lankan Star while Godolphin trainer James Cummings told stewards Athiri would not be an acceptor.
Athiri was safely in the field but was showing signs of the thumps after her third in Saturday’s Magic Night Stakes won by her stablemate Kiamichi.
Godolphin will have six runners – Microphone, Tenley, Exhilarates, Pin Sec and Kiamichi all trained by Cummings and the Anthony Freedman-trained Blue Diamond winner Lyre.
The withdrawal of Athiri means the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Loving Gaby gets into the 16-horse field, joining stablemate Dubious.
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