Top Victoria Derby hope Bachman will miss Saturday’s blue riband for the three year olds at Flemington on Saturday after injuring his leg in a stable accident this morning.
Bachman is to miss the Victoria Derby because of a leg injury. Photo by Steve Hart.
Bachman sustained a knock to his hind leg while exercising on the walker at Caulfield and while trainer Gerald Ryan is hopeful it is not too serious, the wound is enough to keep him from running in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m).
“It is all superficial but it is not ideal,” Ryan told Racing Network.
“He might have got the tendon just under his hock but at this stage hopefully it isn’t anything too serious apart from meaning he will miss the Derby.”
Ryan will spell the All American colt for eight weeks and then will likely set him for the Group 1 $2m Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Ryan has been happy with the progress of Bachman in his Victoria Derby preparation, particularly his last two starts when started to step up in distance.
At his second run this campaign Bachman was beaten just over two lengths when third to the Victoria Derby favourite Hampton Court in the Listed $100,000 TAB Betting Season Dulcify Quality (1600m) at Randwick on October 4.
Then the bay colt pleased Ryan when he made up plenty of ground in the straight when sixth to Fontein Ruby in the Group 3 $750,000 racing.com Caulfield Classic (2000m) at Caulfield on October 18.
Ryan was excited about stepping Bachman up to the 2500m of the Victoria Derby and was expecting him to figure in the finish.
“I was really pleased with his run last time when he made up a lot of ground. This (the 2500 metres of the Derby) is what he has been looking for all along. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least competitive,” Ryan said early in the week before today’s injury.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Hampton Court will run the favourite in the Victoria Derby after knocking over the two hotpots in the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 11.
The John Thompson trained First Seal ($2.15 favourite) and Godolphin’s Sweynesse ($2.80) were scripted to fight out the finish but the improving Hampton Court spoiled the party by swamping the pair to record a two and a quarter lengths win which immediately promoted him to the top of the market order for thee Victoria Derby.
