Boom pacer Never Ending has received the all-clear after his self-inflicted flop when strongly fancied in Friday night’s $200,000 Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park.

The winner of 16 races was heavily backed at $2.90, but he pulled hard when leading and faded to finish fifth, more than 7m behind victor Mister Smartee.

Trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice sparked concerns on Never Ending’s future tractability when he spoke to stewards after the Golden Nugget.

“Never Ending over-raced throughout, which affected his performance,” Prentice told stipes. But news from the Never Ending camp was rosier on Saturday.

“Never Ending is OK this morning and shows no sign of distress,” managing owner Glen Mortimer said. “We will press on with plans to prepare him for races headed by the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup. He’ll probably need only a couple of weeks off before resuming work.

“When assessing Never Ending’s Nugget run, it should be remembered he faced top rivals. Mister Smartee is exceptional, while placegetters Sorridere and Lusaka also have bright prospects.”

The $1.2 million Nullarbor will be run at Gloucester Park on April 25, a week before the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Pacing Cup.

Trainer Gary Hall Sr plans on starting Mister Smartee in the Nullarbor, ahead of travelling to Brisbane for the Inter Dominion Championship, capped by a $1 million final at Albion Park in July.

Trots fans are comparing Mister Smartee, a winner at 13 of 15 Perth starts, with Hall’s former champion Im Themightyquinn.

“Mister Smartee is the best four-year-old I’ve trained, and he’s better than Quinny was at this stage of his caereer,” Hall said. “But Quinny went on to be a superstar and Mister Smartee still has to prove himself in elite league. Mister Smartee shows enough potential to suggest he could develop into a great pacer at national level.”

Stewards opened inquiries into scratchings of Golden Nugget acceptors Aardiebytheseaside and OK Boomer, who drew gates nine and 10, respectively.

Co-trainer Greg Bond said he had withdrawn last-start winner Aardiebytheseaside because she worked below expectations. His explanation was accepted.

But stewards have adjourned a probe into OK Boomer’s withdrawal on Friday morning, three hours after the scratchings deadline. Trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper said the gelding, a winner at his previous two starts, had a hoof abscess.

Three-year-old Copy Cat Queen, a winner of seven races, received a stewards’ ban after she was found to be affected by an atrial fibrillation when running a long last in Friday night’s eighth Gloucester Park race.

Stipes, who said it was the filly’s second atrial fibrillation, ordered she could not race for at least 28 days. She must twice trial satisfactorily and have a vet clearance before her racing return.

Tommy Waterhouse, scratched after he was found to be lame in the preliminary shortly before race three on Friday night, must also have vet approval before starting again.

Capel reinsman Aiden De Campo was at his best when winning Friday night’s opening races with Showpony, Frisky Styx and Rockandrollartist.

“Showpony went super, and could have won even if facing the breeze,” De Campo said. “Frisky Styx is impressive and he got a perfect run. Rockandrollartist’s early speed is a big asset.”