One of the island’s fastest harness ponies has been ruled out of the Champion of Champions races.

Simsfield Stables gelding Red October is unable to compete for the coveted title at the Bermuda Equestrian Centre this weekend after suffering a season-ending leg injury, with owner/trainer Aaron Sims disappointed to miss the big day.

“Red October is out for the rest of the season,” Sims said. “He has a soft-tissue injury in his left front leg that needs time to heal. He will have the summer off and then I will bring him back in training next season.”

Red October had been in good form prior to his misfortune and at one stage held a share of the fastest time with rival Smart Machine, which the latter has since lowered.

Despite the setback, Sims’ Champion of Champions hopes have not been completely dashed as his stallion Gold Rush has also qualified for the four-race series.

The three-year-old pony is in good form after posting a lifetime best and the day’s fastest time of 1:02/4 with driver Darico Clarke at the helm at the Vesey Street racetrack last Sunday.

Sims is happy to see his pony make the cut but concedes his task will not be easy against Belhaven Stables gelding Smart Machine, who has clocked the season’s fastest time of 1:01/4 under owner/driver Candyce Martins.

“Going into Champion of Champions is pretty exciting as he’s so young and it is the first time running up against some of the best in Bermuda,” Sims said.

“Candyce is going to be hard to beat. Smart Machine is really running good, but it’s the luck of the draw and how the day turns out to be.”

Sims reckons the best is yet to come from Gold Rush.

“It’s exciting because when I bought him he was only three months old, with the assumption he was going to be my replacement for Hardtimes when I retired him, and so far he has shown that he’s capable of doing it,” he said. “He’s still young so there’s a lot more future left for him.”

Gold Rush was denied the clean sweep last weekend after being pipped by Smart Machine and Martins for the win in the opening heat.

Missing out on advancing to the Free for All division by a mere fifth of a second was gelding Huntinforgold after posting a 1:03/3 in the Junior Free for All division with owner/driver Tahzil Flood in the bike.

“I’m happy with Huntinforgold, he’s come a long way,” Flood said. “I didn’t push him off the rail and he still dropped a really good time.

“I know he had a lot more in him but he’s up against a tough group of horses next weekend for Champion of Champions, so I am trying to prepare him for that.”

Belhaven Stables gelding Iron Mike and rookie driver Kaleb Camara was the only double-heat winner during the last race day.

The Champion of Champions series will take place on Saturday and Sunday and will feature the six fastest ponies of the season, which also includes Somegoldsomewhere (Teshi Zuill), Rockeyed Optimist (Maurice Raynor), Double Time (Belhaven Stables) and Huntinforgold.

The winners will be determined by the fastest combined time with post positions to be drawn at the track.

Racing begins at 1pm on both days.