ARCHIPENKO is to miss a clash with Derby winner New Approach in the Group 1 Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday week due to a foot injury.
The four-year-old should have worked on the Rowley Mile in Newmarket on Thursday but that was put back 24 hours after he pulled off the shoe from his near fore.
However, trainer Mike De Kock discovered the Group 1 winner was still not 100 per cent fit.
"He's not sound this morning," De Kock said on Friday. "It's nothing major, it's just going to cost us running in the Champion Stakes.
"It's a major setback not to be running in the race but in terms of the horse's well being, it's not a major setback. At this stage we're not even sure what it is. I sent the horse off to the vets to have a scan and a x-ray but, at the moment, we can't find anything.
"I'm hoping it's only a niggly thing that's going to cost us a week or two. Then we can have him ready for Hong Kong in December."
Archipenko, runner-up in the Arlington Million on his latest start, was third favourite on the exchanges to win the Champion Stakes.
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