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Forces beyond the control of Tim and Margaret Carter have forced a rethink of Battle Time’s early season programme.
The Cambridge trainers decided against the entire resuming in Saturday’s Gr.2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa and, as a result, he will also bypass the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings.
“The weather has been terrible and we didn’t want him having a gut-buster of a run first-up so the Foxbridge was out and we’ve withdrawn him from the first leg at Hawke’s Bay,” Tim Carter said.
“That’s going to be a top field and we’re taking a safer route. He’s got a big season ahead of him and it will probably be his last as he’s still a stallion.”
A dual Group One placegetter, Battle Time does remain in the mix for the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings on September 23.
“We’ll look for a race somewhere before that and then the main aim will be to go back down south for the Coupland’s Mile,” Carter said.
A half-brother to his stablemate and Gr.2 Avondale Cup winner Farm Boy, the son of Battle Paint led all the way to win the Group Two feature last season at the expense of Ringo and Nashville.
Battle Time has a good record at Riccarton where he also finished runner-up to Xtravagant in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.