Promising sprinter Lord Of The Sky (Aus) (Danerich {Aus}), once considered a contender for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint later this year, has been ruled out of the remainder of the spring by trainer Robbie Laing after suffering a tendon injury, according to Racing.com. Laing said he initially thought the injury that knocked the 6-year-old out of last Saturday's G1 Memsie S. to be career-threatening, but said it is not as bad as he first believed.
“Scans have shown no tears and no holes [in the tendon], there's a little bit of filling there and a little bit of damage to his annular ligament at the back of his fetlock joint,” Laing told Racing.com. “The vets are quite optimistic to have him back towards the end of the spring but I'd be more so looking to the autumn with him.”
Laing nominated the G1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February as a potential next target for the entire.
“One race that has always looked tailor-made for him because of his love of Caulfield is the Oakleigh Plate,” Laing said. “The T.J. Smith is a bit like the one that got away but I suppose if Chautauqua's there again then he probably beats him. We're still looking for that elusive Group 1 with him but he's been back to somewhere near his best at his last couple of runs, so if we do the right thing by him and be patient then he still might be able to achieve that [Group 1] in the autumn.”
Lord Of The Sky was placed at the Group 1 level twice last year. He won the G3 Bletchingly S. July 30 and was fifth in the G2 PB Lawrence S. Aug. 13.
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