A decision on the racing future of unbeaten Atlantic Jewel will be made after the mare undergoes a ten week rehabilitation program for a tendon injury.
The Mark Kavanagh trained Atlantic Jewel had been posted an early Cox Plate favourite following her undefeated run reaching seven when the Fastnet Rock mare took out the Group 1 $400,000 Ticketek All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 28.
The Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 27 was the Spring target for Atlantic Jewel but Kavanagh had to send the talented mare back to the spelling paddock when the injury was discovered early in her preparation.
Scans were taken of Atlantic Jewel’s injured tendon and after being checked by international vets, an immediate decision on her future was put off until the end of October.
“The scans were sent overseas and assessed by a couple of experts in the game and they have come back and said to us that it is an injury that is obviously a tendon injury. It is a serious injury, but not serious enough to retire the mare,” said Coolmore CEO Michael Kirwan.
“We are going to put her on a rehabilitation regime and reassess her at the end of October.”
“It is always a possibility to come back when you have a tendon which is a very serious injury and some come back some don’t, but we are going to give her the opportunity to recover and to see if we can fix it.”
“The end of October will tell us exactly where we are. If it has not healed as well as we would have expected then we will possibly retire her.”
“If it is heading in the right direction then there is a chance that she will be okay with it we will continue.”
The options are still up in the air, but if the racing future of Atlantic Jewel is over, she will prove a very valuable brood mare for Coolmore in either the Northern or Southern hemispheres with two Group 1 wins on her record.
Atlantic Jewel hit the headlines with a three lengths victory in last year’s Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in October followed by a seven lengths win in the Group 2 $300,000 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 29.
Kavanagh had to forego a run in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington the following week when Atlantic Jewel developed back problems but the then three year bounced back with two wins in Sydney during the Autumn.
Atlantic Jewel showed that she was back to her best with a three and three quarter lengths win in the Group 2 $175,000 Yellowglen Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 14 and that was backed up with a one and a quarter win in the All Aged Stakes.
