Hall Of Fame trainer Lee Freedman has been forced to scratch Our Ivanhowe from the Group 1 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday because of a minor leg injury.
Our Ivanhowe, above, will miss the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield because of a cut leg. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Our Ivanhowe sustained a cut to his near hind leg while working at the beach on Monday and required some treatment thus ruling him out of Saturday’s event.
“It is no big deal. He has just sustained a small cut when he was down at the beach yesterday morning and it was just looking a bit puffy this morning like it needed some treatment so to be on the safe side we are going to pull him out and run him in the Turnbull,” Lee Freedman told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
Freedman, who now trains in partnership with his brother Anthony, doesn’t expect the slight setback to affect Our Ivanhowe’s Spring Carnival Campaign to a great degree and the German import is likely to line up in the Group 1 $500,000 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 2.
“Once they get the required treatment today he will be back cantering tomorrow and probably gallop on Saturday,” Freedman said.
“With these sort of things we don’t take any risks because if we didn’t treat it could develop into something a bit bigger.”
Freedman had to overcome a troubled Autumn campaign with Our Ivanhowe due to multiple feet problems but the Freedman Brothers were able to get the then six year old back to full fitness to win the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Our Ivanhowe has had one run back from a break and kicked off his Spring Carnival campaign with a fifth to Palentino in the Group 1 $500,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 10.
At the time of his withdrawal from the Underwood Stakes Our Ivanhowe was listed at $8.50, forcing a slight adjustment to the market order at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Ruling favourite Black Heart Bart was $2.70 with Our Ivanhowe in the field but has now firmed into $2.40 with Lucia Valentina also well in contention at $3.80.
Market order for the Underwood Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.40 Black Heart Bart, $3.80 Lucia Valentina, $6 Awesome Rock, $10 He Or She, $13 Tarzino, $14 Tavago, $17 The Cleaner, $26 Jacquinot Bay, $26 Prince Of Penance, $71 Howard Be Thy Name.
