Three-year-old prospect Matias is withdrawn from the Queensland Derby after suffering a leg injury, with star sprinter Jedibeel set for throat surgery and absent until sometime later this year.
The pair of adept racers will loom as major non-runners for the season’s latter stages, having offered signs of top-level talent through Sydney’s autumn showcase carnival.
Matias positioned himself as a leading early fancy for the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) over Eagle Farm on May 30, on the back of his eye-catching score in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Royal Randwick a couple of weeks ago.
Trainer Gerald Ryan shared with Racing And Sports that Matias developed a minor leg issue during last Saturday’s trackwork.
“Matias twisted a joint and is going to the paddock,” said Ryan, who trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou.
“We would have been behind the eight-ball trying to get him ready for the Derby.
So, we have pulled up stumps, he will have a break and hopefully be back for spring.
I was devastated when it happened as the horse was coming along so well for Brisbane.”
Post a poor run finishing among the backmarkers in The Quokka at Ascot on April 18, Jedibeel—a past The Everest participant last spring—was found to have a throat issue.
The $2 million earner Jedibeel’s effort was atypically weak, especially after his prior start where he flew home from last on the turn to almost overhaul Marhoona in Group 1 The Galaxy at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day.
“A month ago Jedibeel nearly wins The Galaxy then three weeks later we are dealing with this,” trainer Brad Widdup said.
“After The Quokka, (jockey) Tyler Schiller told us the horse was making a noise so we had the horse checked by the vets.
You see some scopes and you think how does the horse even breathe but fortunately it is not that bad with Jedibeel.
But there is enough there where we have to do something so he will have the throat surgery.
I’m not sure how long he will have out, he may miss the spring or return later in the year, we will just see how the surgery goes.
But the horse comes first. Jedibeel has been a great horse for us and I will give him all the time he needs before getting him back to the races.”
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