Top mare Platinum Witness has been sidelined by injury.

The four-year-old is recuperating after an operation last Friday to remove a bone chip from a joint.

“The operation went well, but she will be out for at least eight weeks and won’t be back until the autumn,” trainer Lisa Latta said.

“It’s disappointing, because we had planned to race her through the summer and the [Group One] Captain Cook would have been her next start.”

Platinum Witness won the Gr.1 NZ 1000 Guineas and was runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks last term and took the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title.

She resumed with an easy win in rating 85 company in October and finished third in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate at Trentham, before running fifth, as a $3.80 favourite, in the Gr.2 Coupland’s Mile at Riccarton.

“She was quite jarry after the Riccarton race,” Latta said.

The Coupland’s was a let-down for the Latta stable, which looked to have two top chances, the other being Mighty Solomon.

Mighty Solomon, who has rarely been unplaced, was a $4.80 third favourite, but ran below his best when seventh.

“It was quite puzzling really, I don’t know what to make of his run,”Latta said. “We had his blood done when he got home and it was perfect.

“Perhaps his run at Awapuni [at his previous start] was harder than it looked.

“He’s having a break in the paddock now, before we get him ready for the Gr.2 Kamada Park Manawatu Challenge Stakes at Awapuni on December 19.”

Meanwhile, Latta will run the Per Incanto filly Bella Court in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on Friday.

Bella Court, who was bred by champion jockey James McDonald, was a winner at Ellerslie last term and also finished fifth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce and seventh in the Listed Karaka Million.

She was having her third run this campaign when third, behind her Wellington Stakes rival Goodsav in a rating 65 1400m at Hastings at her last start.

Latta’s other runners at Otaki will include the promising juveniles Hiphop and Showmeyamoneyhoney, who are both by Showcasing.

Hiphop was fourth in the Listed Wellesley Stakes last start and Showmeyamoneyhoney has had a win and a second from two trials runs.

“They both go well,” Latta said.

Bella Court will start from the inside barrier, but Latta’s juveniles drew the two outside spots in a 10-horse field.