Favourite Mr. Audacious has been sensationally scratched from Friday night’s Group 2 SJC Concreting Ballarat Cup final (450m).

Mr. Audacious was TAB’s $2.20 favourite for the $50,000 to-the-winner Ballarat Cup after a scorching 24.79sec heat victory, his fifth win from seven starts, but Kilmany trainer Rachael Busuttil was forced to withdraw the boom youngster on Thursday morning due to a toenail injury.

“It’s a bit crappy,” Mark Busuttil, Rachael’s husband, said.

“We worked him in the run as we normally do on Tuesday morning, and he pulled a toenail out.

“He’s a once in a lifetime dog and he’s too valuable to take any risks with.”

“We took him to the vet and the vet was optimistic that he would be right by Friday.

“But when we went to put him out on Wednesday night, he was standing on three legs. He hobbled all the way out to the empty yard and all the way back and he was still limping this morning (Thursday).

“You’ve got to be 100% to go up against these dogs. It’s not about the money, it’s all about what’s best for the dog.”

Busuttil said the injury will rule Mr. Audacious out of next week’s G2 Geelong Cup heats, to be held on Good Friday, with the G2 Warrnambool Cup heats on April 28 the next feature target.

Click HERE  for TAB’s latest Ballarat Cup Final market

“We’ll probably start galloping him again in ten days, so we’re hoping to be ready for Warrnambool,” Busuttil said.

“It’s disappointing but at the end of the day, he’s only broken a toenail.

“This dog has changed our lives. He’s a once in a lifetime dog and he’s too valuable to take any risks with. He has the potential to be anything. He’s still untapped and I’ve got no doubt he has more to give.”

With the scratching of Mr. Audacious, first reserve Perfect Colour will secure a start in the Ballarat Cup final, with Warragul Cup winner Robbie Rotten (Box 3) assuming favouritism at $3.10, ahead of defending champion Ferdinand Boy (Box 7) at $4.20.