Smart Melbourne filly Petits Filous will be out of the upcoming Spring Carnival after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from one of her knees.
The Ciaron Maher trained Petits Filous showed enormous ability when she kicked off her racing career last July, stringing together four wins on the trot, including a victory in the Group 3 $150,000 Lister Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield at the beginning of the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Petits Filous’ winning run came to an end when she finished down the track when tenth to Buffering in the Group 1 $450,000 City Jeep Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley at the beginning of October.
The Street Boss filly then resumed from a spell to win a 1100m three year old fillies Handicap at Caulfield before failing to beat a runner home in the Group 2 $500,000 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on the day two of ‘The Championships’ on April 9.
Maher than sent her for a break before preparing her to run in the Group 1 $400,000 UBET Classic (Registered as Robert Sangster Stakes) (1200m) at Morphettville on May 7 where she ran thirteenth to Precious Gem.
That was when the knee problem surfaced and surgery was recommended, forcing her out of the Spring Carnival.
“She had some knee surgery after her run in Adelaide and will be out for the spring,” Maher told Racing.com’s Racing Ahead on RSN 927.
“She’ll probably make a return about autumn next year.
“She had a couple of knee chips, the surgery went well and she’s back in the paddock.”
Maher can recall Petits Filous changing stride a couple of time in the straight in the Robert Sangster Stakes and thinks that is when she did the damage.
“She changed strides a number of times down the home straight – it usually means they’re feeling something,” Maher said.
“So we got her checked out post-race and there was some there … most likely it happened during the race.”
Petits Filous is the winner off five of her eight race starts and has earned almost $350,000 in prizemoney.