Trap For Fools (Image: Racing Photos)
One of the hottest picks at The Valley on Saturday will undergo a mandatory veterinary examination on course after stewards were notified that Trap For Fools had suffered a foot abscess this week.
Trainer Jarrod McLean told RSN927's Racing Pulse that he had applied to stewards to race Trap For Fools in a three-quarter bar plate after the hoof trouble emerged following a strong gallop alongside well-regarded import Sixties Groove at Casterton on Tuesday morning.
"We've had a bit of a setback since," McLean reported on Friday. "We've had a bit of a foot throughout the week and we notified stewards late yesterday that he'll race in a three-quarter bar-plate.
"(It's) not ideal for punters or for myself, but I am confident he will present well tomorrow."
The former WA galloper is as low as $2.30 to win his first race in Victoria on Saturday in the eighth race - the Cash Out Handicap - at The Valley after showing encouraging form at his past two runs.
McLean said he would monitor the horse himself and then if he was happy with his hoof, he would take him to The Valley to race, where stewards will then conduct their own veterinary inspection to ensure the horse is fit to race.
McLean said he was supremely confident Trap For Fools would win on Saturday after Tuesday's gallop.
"It all started with a tiny little quarter crack," McLean said. "He galloped terrific on Tuesday and while I won't say the word 'moral', I was very happy with what I saw on Tuesday.
"But the way things were looking yesterday, we opted to make up a three-quarter bar plate and that's been put on him and I am reasonably happy with him this morning.
"You don't like any setbacks in racing. It's bloody hard enough to win anyway when you go there with nothing wrong, so it's fair to say we've had something wrong and it's not ideal but hopefully we've waved the magic wand with our farrier and our vet and we've got him right for tomorrow.
"All precautions are taken to make sure he does present well so I think if he runs he will be going very close."
If Trap For Fools does not take his place, the new favourite for the eighth race will be Pacodali, who suffered a similar hoof abscess three weeks ago when he had to be scratched from a race at Flemington.
WATCH: Trap For Fools' last-start second