Pakistan Star is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons with an assistant trainer of the Hong Kong galloper fined for breaching trackwork regulations.
Tony Cruz’s assistant trainer Cody Mo Wai-kit was fined HK$7,500 for wielding a ‘buggy’ whip on Pakistan Star in an effort to try make the 5-year-old gallop.
Pakistan Star has been surrounded in controversy since he spectacularly refused to race in a Group 3 race back in June.
Tony Cruz leaped to his assistances defence, claiming he was only acting out of instinct.
“I don’t think anybody really understands just how bad the situation with this horse really is. Cody was just acting out of instinct. He was flicking it around his legs. It was just to get him to go.” Cruz told the South China Morning Post.
Pakistan Star earned a cult-following in 2016 when he caught the eye coming from last to first in a a breathtaking victory.
Pakistan Star still needs to successfully trail twice before being allowed to continue racing.
Have Your Say: Will Pakistan Star race again? Leave a comment below.
Watch Pakistan Star refuse to race in the Group 3 Premier Plate:
Horse Of Fortune wins a dramatic G3 Premier Plate for @callan_murray after Pakistan Star refused after 100m, later completed course pic.twitter.com/hfiNm1HCan
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 25, 2017