Sir Delius will not line up in Saturday’s Craven Plate at Randwick after trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott decided to spell the imported galloper and focus on an autumn campaign.

The five-year-old son of Frankel was a key contender for both the Cox Plate (2040m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) before being ruled out of the Victorian Spring Carnival by Racing Victoria stewards. The decision came after CT scans indicated a heightened risk of injury, effectively ending his spring preparation.

Waterhouse confirmed on Wednesday that the stable would instead turn their attention to next year’s autumn features.

“After discussing Sir Delius with the ownership group, Adrian and I have made the decision to spell him and set our sights on the autumn carnival,” Waterhouse said on X. “He’s an extremely valuable horse and one we firmly believe will continue to prove he’s the best weight-for-age performer in Australia. Bring on the $5 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.”

Sir Delius was nominated for Saturday’s $750,000 Group 3 Craven Plate but has since been withdrawn, leaving Lindermann the clear favourite in the eight-horse field. The decision caps a frustrating week for the Waterhouse and Bott team, who had kept the stallion ticking over in case of a late change to his Victorian status.

Sir Delius had been in top form, winning both the Underwood Stakes (1800m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before being ruled out. Despite the setback, connections remain optimistic he will return stronger in the autumn.