Pre-post favourite Xtravagant will miss Saturday's Group I Telegraph Handicap (1200m) in New Zealand after working below expectations on Tuesday morning.
The dual Group I winner has not raced since struggling in the Group I Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in the spring but won and finished second in a pair of trials leading up to his racetrack return.
However, Xtravagant's future is uncertain after the entire's work at Matamata in which the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained son of Pentire covered 1000m on the plough track in 1:02.2, a gallop jockey Opie Bosson told The Informant was "just fair".
Managing owner David Ellis told the New Zealand racing publication the gallop was not winning work before a Group I assignment.
"He worked okay only, not good enough to take him down to Wellington," Ellis said afterwards. "It's a big call but one that we all agree on.
"We will review his future in the days ahead."
Xtravagant's withdrawal prompted local betting agencies to post the Railway Stakes winner Start Wondering as a $4 favourite ahead of Perfect Fit ($5), First Serve ($6) and Odyssey Moon ($7).
