Carbonados, the warm favourite for Saturday's Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui has been scratched due to his sale to Australia.
The Allan Sharrock-trained son of Belardo had been a dominant debut winner on his home track at New Plymouth earlier in the month, where he was the heavily supported favourite on the back of a strong trial win at Foxton.
Sharrock said the sale of the stakes-bound two-year-old was bittersweet.
“He has been purchased by the Hayes stable,” Sharrock said.
“Like all the nice horses in New Zealand, they go overseas.
“He was one I was reluctant to sell. I rate the horse. Probably he can handle wet ground, but he doesn't mind it good either.
“I hope he does a good job for them. We are a trading nation and it is just the way it goes.
“He was $1.50 favourite and I thought he was a good thing on Saturday, but now we will never know. We just have to turn our attention to finding another one.”
Out of the winning Iffraaj mare Humoresque, Carbonados was purchased for $30,000 as a yearling from the draft of Haunui Farm.
Carbonados' sire Belardo was recently represented by Golden Path, who was an impressive debut winner at Pakenham for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable after winning multiple trials in New Zealand for Michael Rogers.