Stakes winning mare Peace Force’s Summer program is up in the air after a minor leg injury has forced her withdrawal from the Listed $175,000 Jones Retail Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Early favourite Peace Force, above, has been scratched from the Lough Neagh Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Sydney based mare injured her front joint in the float on the trip up from her Rosehill base and will need treatment, ruling her out of Saturday’s race.
Trainer Gerald Ryan said that Peace Force sustained some bruising to her front joint and at this stage is uncertain how long she will need to recover.
“She whacked her leg in the float on the way up there and we’ve had to treat her so she won’t be running,” Ryan told AAP.
“She has some bruising to a front joint.
“I don’t know what she will do now. We will have to wait and see how the leg is.
“It is disappointing because she was going so well.”
Ryan decided on the Brisbane road trip after Peace Force ran a mighty race when third behind Mighty Lucky and It’s Somewhat, beaten a neck in a blanket finish, in the Listed $150,000 Sky Thoroughbred Central Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago.
At her time of scratching, Ladbrokes.com.au had Peace Force as the $4 favourite for the Lough Neagh Stakes ahead of the Peter Moody trained Weinholt at $4.20 and Robert Heathcote’s last start winner Saluter at $5.
The reshaped market now has Weinholt as the $3.60 favourite ahead of Saluter at $4.40, the Tony Gollan trained Fontelina at $4.60, Steel Zip at $6 and Gundry Spirit at $8.
Peace Force had performed well in Brisbane before with a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben during the Winter Carnival.
She was also Group 3 placed at her two previous starts when second in the Group 3 $125,000 Gosford RSL Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford on January 9 followed by a second in the Group 3 $150,000 The 2015 Darley Crown (1300m) at Rosehill on May 9.
New favourite Weinholt is a winner of two of his last three starts, and heads to Brisbane on the back of a win in a 1200m $70,000 Open Handicap at Ballarat on its stand-alone meeting at the end of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Lough Neagh Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.60 Weinholt, $4.40 Saluter, $4.60 Fontelina, $6 Steel Zip, $8 Gundy Spirit, $10 Miss Cover Girl, $11 Temple Of Boom, $41 Anna Lizzie, $61 Brave Ali, $81 Abu Ben Adam.
