Jimando To Miss Spring Racing Carnival

Talented but inconsistent colt Jimando will miss the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival after having stem cell surgery to repair a torn suspensory ligament.

Jimando will be out of racing for up to eight months after tearing his suspensory ligament. Photo by: Taron Clarke

Jimando suffered the injury in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1400m) and according to trainer Tony McEvoy will be out of racing for up to eight months.

The Commands colt has proven frustrating for connections as he has shown glimpses of brilliance but has not been able to consistently perform at his best.

During the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival he recorded an impressive victory in the Listed Henry Bucks Best Dressed (1400m) at Flemington and finished third behind Pierro in the Group 2 Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) but was unable to fire in the Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) or Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m).

The rising four-year-old’s results in the autumn were very similar with a win in the Momentum Energy Handicap (1400m) at Flemington followed by a less than par performance in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1350m) before his campaign was ended early after finishing tenth behind Sizzling in the Queensland Guineas.

McEvoy told Racing Ahead that the injury to Jimando was one of the many that have plagued his stable in recent months and he believes he won’t be a major playing during the spring.

“I think it will be a light spring for me,” McEvoy said on RSN.

“I had a little bit of bad luck with my imports, they will be back for the late spring but I won’t be a factor in the spring as I thought I was going to be earlier in the year.”

It is not all doom and gloom for McEvoy, who secured his fifth Adelaide Trainer’ Premiership on Saturday, and he is clearly exciting about his talented crop of yearlings that are set to making their racing debuts towards the end of the year.

“I’ve got an beautiful group of yearlings coming through so I think I will figure with some two-year-olds but I think the autumn and next spring will be my time with the imports,” the leading trainer said.

McEvoy has had past success at the highest level of racing with two-year-olds, winning the Group 1 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) with Barely A Moment in 2004.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.