Star WA sprinter Clairvoyance will not return to racing in $100,000 Fitzpatrick Plate in Albany on Sunday

Boom WA sprinter Clairvoyance, who was set to be one of the biggest attractions in Fitzpatrick Plate history, has been scratched from Sunday’s $100,000 feature race at Albany Racing Club. The Darren McAuliffe-trained mare was set to race for the first time since April after returning from a career threatening injury, but was withdrawn on Wednesday morning. The rising star of WA racing has won five of six career starts, including her first four, before needing surgery in May after a stable mishap led to bleeding from her knee and tendon sheaths. The horse was then struck down by a bad bout of colic soon after, but in December returned to the track with an impressive barrier trial and was set to resume in one of the Great Southern’s biggest races. However McAuliffe confirmed the news on Wednesday morning of the scratching. “Unfortunately Clairvoyance is not quite ready to resume in Sunday’s Fitzpatrick Plate in Albany,” he said. “The distance change from the advertised 1200m to 1230m has all but forced our hand. “She will likely resume in the Miss Andretti Stakes at Ascot the following week over the 1100m. “It’s a difficult decision but one made solely on the horse and what’s best for her as it’s been nothing short of a miracle to even have got her back to trials.” Meanwhile fellow metropolitan trainer Luke Fernie is brimming with confidence about his two-pronged attack in the feature race at Percy Spencer Racecourse. A strong list of 22 nominations was received, headed by Clairvoyance before her scratching. The Fernie-trained Ziebell will lump 59kg top weight in the Fitzpatrick Plate and is joined by stablemate Scandolo. Scandolo comes into the race having won last start at Ascot while Ziebell ran a strong fourth in a 72+ ratings race. “Both horses are going really well, I’m pretty keen to get them down there actually,” Fernie said. “Both are real live chances. “One of them has won a 78+ and the other is in great form, so they are really strong chances. “We were just ticking along with both horses and this race came up so we had a throw at the stumps. “I think it’s a pretty even field.” Top senior jockey Brad Rawiller will ride Ziebell from barrier four while Kyra Yuill is aboard Scandolo who drew barrier five with 54kg. Albany trainer Roy Rogers will have a strong hand in the race with Kia Ora Star and Heavenly Waters while fellow local trainer Liam O’Loughlin will saddle up Wild Fusion. The eight-race program has attracted a strong hand of jockeys headed by champion rider William Pike, Rawiller and Patrick Carbery.