Oakleigh Plate winner Woorim will miss the entire Melbourne Spring Carnival with a tendon problem.

Robert Heathcote discovered heat and filling in Woorim’s off foreleg last week and while two subsequent scans have not revealed any serious problems the leading Queensland trainer has elected to play it safe.

Woorim will miss the Spring Carnival after a tendon problem. Photo by: Taron Clarke

“There’s no evidence of anything really serious but he’s showing the early stages of tendinitis and the most important thing with tendon injuries is treating them immediately,” Heathcote said.

“He’ll have three months in the paddock.”

Woorim, a winner of more than $1 million in prizemoney, has suffered a number of problems throughout his career.

Following his breakthrough Group 1 win in the Oakleigh Plate in February, the son of Show A Heart performed strongly to run fifth in the Newmarket Handicap before finishing last in the William Reid Stakes and George Ryder Stakes.

It was later revealed he had a respiratory problem and while he appeared to be back to his best in trackwork in the leadup to the Brisbane Carnival he was unable to make an impact in either the BTC Cup or Doomben 10,000.

Despite the latest setback, Heathcote is confident the horse who delivered him his first Group 1 title can make a full recovery and return in the autumn.

“The spring’s obviously out of the question but so what,” Heathcote said.

“We’ll get him right and bring him back for the autumn where the Oakleigh Plate will again be on the cards.”

The rest of Heathcote’s spring contingent remain on track for their respective spring campaigns but Woorim’s injury has caused a change of plans for Solzhenitsyn.

The six-year-old was originally set to resume in the Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 8 but will now have his first start in a 1350-metre open handicap at Doomben on the same day.

Solzehenitsyn, who was unbeaten in three starts at the Brisbane Winter Carnival, will then travel to Melbourne to contest the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on September 30.

“I didn’t want him going down alone and having to work on his own so he’ll head down with his stablemates in late September before the Sir Rupert Clarke,” Heathcote said.