The 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign of Fiveandahalfstar is currently hanging in the balance with a veterinary scan on Thursday set to decide the immediate racing future of the 2012 Victoria Derby winner.

Fiveandahalfstar could miss the 2013 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival (c) Race Horse Photos Australia

Fiveandahalfstar suffered a sprained fetlock during in his victory in The BMW (2400m) that saw him ruled out of the Australian Derby (2400m) and sent to the spelling paddock.

Trainer Anthony Cummings said the Hotel Grand colt’s injured leg was looking  good but the results of veterinary scan later in the week would decide whether he returns to trackwork.

“He was due to get scanned yesterday but there was a problem with the machine so it will get done on Thursday and that will give us some insight as to exactly how quickly he will be back at the track and whether he has a spring or not,” Cummings told Radio Sports National.

Cummings believes his team has given Fiveandahalfstar the best possible opportunity to return in time for a Spring Carnival tilt, which is expected to include a crack at the 2013 Melbourne Cup, but admitted he needed to return to work next week for that to be a real possibility.

“He is giving himself every opportunity to get back in a reasonable amount of time,” Cummings said.

“If he isn’t ready to go back into work now it makes the spring pretty tough for him.

“If you are talking Cox Plates and the two Cups for him, you don’t like to have them in work any later than this.

“He needs to be able to start now and if he can’t than that is the end of that and if he can than that is something to cheer about and see later on in November.”

Cummings suggested earlier in the year that Fiveandahalfstar’s rivals should ‘look out over the major distance races in the spring’ indicating that the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) would be his major Spring Racing Carnival goals and based on his staying performances as a three-year-old he should relish the two-mile trip of the Melbourne Cup.

Fiveandahalfstar would be the first horse since Efficient in 2007 to win the Melbourne Cup a year after triumphing in the Victoria Derby.