Trainer David Hayes has confirmed that a tendon injury will keep imported stayer Jet Away out of the 2014 Autumn Racing Carnival.
Jet Away will not return to racing until the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival after injuring his tendon in the Mackinnon Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Jet Away had his last chance to quality for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) by winning the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), and started the race as favourite, but injured his tendon during the run and could finish no better than sixth behind European-trained Side Glance.
The Cape Cross entire has now began a lengthy rehabilitation period, which will include countless sessions on the water-walker, and Hayes told TVN that Jet Away will not return to the races until the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
“He’s into his rehab but he won’t be seen again until the spring,” Hayes said.
“I’m not a big fan of tendons, they are hard to come back from.
“He’s under veterinary care for the next six months and we will just have to wait and see how he comes through all that.”
Jet Away was a consistent performer in Great Britain when prepared by legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil, finishing fourth in the Group 2 York Stakes (2092m) and second in the Group 3 Lancaster Stakes (2098m), and has brought that form to Australia after joining Hayes’s stable at Eurora towards the end of 2012.
The six-year-old made his Australian racing debut with a victory over Zabisco in the Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on March 16 and scored his first ever Group win by beating Folding Gear to take out the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield during the 2013 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
Jet Away had a disrupted 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign; missing both the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) before finally beginning his preparation with an unlucky seventh place finish in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
The imported galloper went into the Caulfield Cup second-up and produced an extraordinary run; battling on bravely to finish fourth behind Fawkner despite over racing and being sent to the front by jockey Damien Oliver with 800 metres left to run.
Jet Away will miss the inaugural running of The Championships at Royal Randwick next year and Hayes said earlier this month that the $4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) would have been an ideal race for the classy stayer.
