Australian Derby favourite Complacent has sustained a leg injury and will miss the entire Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Complacent has sustained a leg injury and is out of the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Photo by Steve Hart.
Darley Australia notified Racing New South Wales Stewards who then released the following statement, “Complacent has sustained an injury to the near fore leg and will miss all autumn engagements.”
“Darley Australia advise that Group I winning colt Complacent has suffered a slight strain to a tendon at pastern level in his near fore,” Darley’s bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said.
“As a result he will not be participating during the autumn carnival and will require a controlled rehabilitation program which he has commenced.”
Peter Snowden, head trainer for Darley Australia, was aiming Complacent towards the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 12 and was due to kick off his Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 1.
Snowden had already decided to miss the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1 to concentrate on the rich Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Complacent was sharing Australian Derby favouritism with the Robbie Laing trained Polanski at $4 a piece but with his withdrawal the Victoria Derby winner is now the clear cut $3 favourite for the glamour three year old race of the ‘The Championships’.
Complacent had marked himself as one of the top contenders for the Australian Derby following a successful Spring which saw the Authorized colt win the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 12.
Snowden then took the Group 1 winner to Melbourne where he was runner up to Polanski in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington in November.
