Connections of Theophorus will find out on Saturday whether the grey is mentally scarred from the hammering he received in the incident-marred Festival Stakes.Theophorus will run in the International Passport Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.He is coming off a torrid unplaced run in the Listed Festival Stakes in which he was lucky to stay on his feet after being severely checked early in the race.Theophorus was one of several horses who suffered interference in the incident described o
Connections of Theophorus will find out on Saturday whether the grey is mentally scarred from the hammering he received in the incident-marred Festival Stakes.
Theophorus will run in the International Passport Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
He is coming off a torrid unplaced run in the Listed Festival Stakes in which he was lucky to stay on his feet after being severely checked early in the race.
Theophorus was one of several horses who suffered interference in the incident described on the day by chief steward Ray Murrihy as "horrendous".
Trainer Gary Nickson originally wanted to run Theophorus a week after the Festival in the Villiers Stakes (1600m) but had to shelve those plans.
"He got it the worst in that incident and people still can't believe he didn't hit the deck he copped it that bad," Nickson said.
"That's the worst interference I've seen in years, it was unbelievable.
"How much damage that has done to the horse psychologically we won't know until race day."
Nickson said it took the five-year-old about four days to get over the run but since then his work has been outstanding.
"He had some joint soreness and a bit of shoulder soreness but then he came right," Nickson said.
"He worked brilliantly the Thursday before the Villiers and I could have run him if I had put the nomination in."
Two starts back Theophorus was a half-head second to Lyncean Academy over 1400 metres at Rosehill on November 21 but he threw a scare into the stable when he returned to the enclosure with blood coming from a nostril following the race.
However, a scope revealed no internal bleeding and he subsequently galloped to the satisfaction of stewards who concluded the blood must have resulted from a head knock in the barrier stalls.
Theophorus was given 60.5kg for Saturday's race but will get some relief after the three kilo claim of apprentice Kody Nestor.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Lorne Dancer is top weight with 64kg and will be ridden by Nash Rawiller.
Lorne Dancer is returning after more than a year on the sidelines and has been tuned-up with two barrier trials.
The promising stayer has won seven of his 13 starts and strung together four wins in the spring of 2008 highlighted by victories in the Group Three Craven Plate (2000m) and Listed City Tatt's Cup (2400m).