INJURED PARK OUT FOR THE SEASON Ashley Park`s career is hanging in the balance after he sustained a leg injury at Kempton Park. The six-year-old will miss the remainder of the season at least after the mishap in the Pertemps Christmas Hurdle. 'It`s heartbreaking but he`s damaged his off-fore and he`s definitely out for the season,' said a disconsolate trainer Mark Pitman. 'At this stage it`s too early to say whether he will be able to race next season.' Things had appeared to be going smoothly for Ashley Park, the 6-5 favourite, as he led approaching the final flight of the Champion Hurdle trial. But in the final 100 yards his stride began to shorten and he was caught close home and beaten a head by Geos. Ashley Park`s jockey Timmy Murphy quickly dismounted and it soon became apparent that something was amiss. The talented but difficult-to-train entire was racing for only the third time over timber, his last outing coming in last March`s Smurfit Champion Hurdle when he finished fourth. Hopes were high that Ashley Park would emerge as a realistic challenger to the Irish ace Istabraq who last season won the Smurfit Champion Hurdle for the third time. Ashley Park has already been scratched from William Hill`s betting for the next renewal of the premier hurdling contest. They make Istabraq their 1-2 favourite to take the race for a fourth time next March with Geos, at 10-1, the best of the home challengers. Istabraq is set to make his seasonal debut in the AIB Agri-Business December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday.
