Leg lacerations suffered during a training accident has forced Brisbane horseman Steven O’dea to withdraw his ace Doomben Cup contender Sir Moments from the race and send the four-year-old straight to the paddock.
Injury has ruled Sir Moments out of Saturday’s Doomben Cup and the remainder of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Photo: Daniel Costello.
In a major blow for the Eagle Farm-based O’dea, his exciting Choisir gelding Sir Moments suffered a training mishap on Sunday afternoon that rules him out of the entire Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
A winner of seven of his 18 starts to date, Sir Moments was considered a top chance in the $650,000 Group 1 The Bundaberg Rum Doomben Cup (2000m) running at Doomben Racecourse this Saturday, May 9.
At the time of his withdrawal from the original 20 early entries and the all-in markets at Ladbrokes the galloper was paying $9 as one of the single figure chances to salute in the weight-for-age staying classic.
After getting his hind leg caught in the walking machine yesterday afternoon however, O’dea had no choice but to immediately spell the $665,050 earner and abandon hopes of a Group 1 win this winter.
Winner of the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1400m) last May, Sir Moments was last seen running the ideal Doomben Cup lead-up when second past the post in a narrow defeat behind Leebaz in the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on April 25.
That Anzac Day feature has produced five of the past six Doomben Cup winners, including the late Guy Walter’s classy mare Streama who completed the Hollindale – Cup double 12 months ago.
Leebaz is the current second favourite to do so again this weekend after the Team Hawkes-trained Zabeel five-year-old took out the Hollindale on the back of a Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m) victory at Randwick a week earlier.
Clear Doomben Cup favourite is the Gai Waterhouse-trained French import Pornichet.
The four-year-old Vespone stallion was balloted out of the Hollidale but able to score an easy win with a big 60.5kg weight on his back over the weekend in the Toowoomba Cup.
The withdrawal of Sir Moments leaves jockey Tim Bell, returning from the suspension that saw him miss the Hollindale Stakes, without a confirmed Doomben Cup mount.
