Participator was taken out on Friday afternoon after Donnelly informed Racing NSW stewards of a minor injury, but one that has ended his current preparation.

"He's got a crack in his foot which we wouldn't have got right by next week," Donnelly said.

Participator was one of the top hopes for next Saturday's $150,000 Southern District Country Championships Qualifier at Murrumbidgee Turf Club.

He's the second high profile withdrawal from the 1400m feature in just a few days after Mitch Beer's Sunrise Ruby was sent for a spell this week.

Participator was rated a $26 chance in markets for the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships final (1400m) at Royal Randwick in April.

Donnelly maintained a philosophical outlook after confirming the news.

"I've been around racing long enough to know these things happen," the trainer said.

Still, it's a disappointment. Participator has had just three starts, for two wins.

He won at Wagga on debut back in May, claiming a two-year-old race on Town Plate day.

The three-year-old returned from a spell to win a class one at the MTC at the end of October before another break.

The Contributer gelding then ran fourth in a 1200m Highway Handicap at Randwick last week in what was to be his only race before the SDRA Country Championships race.

Donnelly knows he's a horse worth getting excited about but joked about his confidence levels.

"I can say what I like now, can't I?" Donnelly laughed.

"I can say he was a certainty.

"No, look, I was happy with him. I thought he ran well the other day.

"But you can't worry about something you can't control."

Donnelly said the positive is that it's a minor complaint.

Although this Country Championships campaign is over, Participator remains a horse with plenty of upside who's suffered only a minor setback.

"The farrier's dressed it. It's just got to grow out," Donnelly said.

"It's like a split fingernail, that's all it is.

"It's not career-threatening at all so once the foot grows out he can come back into work.

"He won't lose his ability."

Jockey Mathew Cahill had also shown confidence in the horse, picking Participator from among his options for the SDRA Country Championships.

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