More Joyous will resume later in the Melbourne Spring Carnival due to a leg injury
A minor leg injury is set to delay the spring preparation of Gai Waterhouse’s glamour mare More Joyous who is not expected to resume until much later in the Melbourne Spring Carnival than first planned.
Owner of the five-time Group 1 winning daughter of More Than Ready, John Singleton made the shock announcement of More Joyous’ leg problem just moments after watching his gallant stayer Ironstein take out the Listed WJ McKell Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Not only will More Joyous have a belated start to the spring, but the $2.2 million earner will have a restricted preparation.
“More Joyous has some tendon problems,” Singleton said.
“She’s in a day yard at Strawberry Hill and we are keeping a close eye on her but she’ll need to have a longer spell now.”
More Joyous kicked off the year in brilliant style winning four successive races including the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in February and the Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day in early April.
The superstar was then heavily backed to win the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (160m) at Randwick, but a Heavy track marred her run and More Joyous only managed to finish 11th to Sacred Choice in her most recent appearance on April 16 and has been spelling since.
Duncan Grimley, racing manager for Singleton, stated that More Joyous would not resume racing until “late September, early October.”
“She has wrenched a join,” Grimley said.
