Trainer Robbie Laing has confirmed that Lord Of The Sky will miss the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival due to the tendon injury that he suffered during his early spring campaign.
Lord Of The Sky will not be seen at the races during the Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Lord Of The Sky finally looked like he was going to deliver on his potential after he finished second in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16, but he produced an underwhelming performance when seventh in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 7 before he suffered a tendon tear when he finished at the tail of the field in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 25.
Laing was hopeful that Lord Of The Sky would be able to return for a late autumn campaign and a tilt at the 2016 edition of the T.J. Smith Stakes, but he told Racing.com that the Danerich entire would require plenty more time in the spelling paddock before he would be able to return to racing.
“I saw him and the horse looks great, but I can’t say the same for the leg that he did in the Bletchingly and he’s still got a way to go,” Laing said.
“I was hoping to bring him into work about Christmas and have a crack at the race that got away from us, the TJ Smith, but I think he’ll be out longer.
“His next preparation will be his last so we want to be certain he’s going to stand.”
Lord Of The Sky made his racing debut with a fourth place finish in the IRT International Breakfast Maiden Plate (1118m) at Werribee in June, but he quickly stamped himself as a sprinter with plenty of talent when he recorded three straight wins and ran impressive time in doing so.
The 2014 Oakleigh Plate was set to be the autumn target for Lord Of The Sky, but he was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Listed W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield, which started a worrying trend for connections as well as punters.
Lord Of The Sky was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Bletchingly Stakes and United Refrigeration Handicap (1000m) in 2014, but he returned to a semblance of his best form to finish fourth in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) before his placings in the T.J. Smith Stakes and The Goodwood.
While Lord Of The Sky has often disappointed punters during his racing career, he has still recorded five wins from 20 starts and accumulated over $900,000 in prizemoney for connections.
