Pride Of Dubai will target the Autumn, ruled out for the Spring.

Two year old Group 1 winner Pride Of Dubai will be targeted towards the 2016 Autumn Carnival three year old races after being ruled out for the Spring because of injury.

Pride Of Dubai will miss the Spring Carnival because of a leg injury. Photo by Steve Hart.

Pride Of Dubai will miss the Spring Carnival because of a leg injury. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Snowden Racing Team was forced to call an end to Pride Of Dubai’s Spring Carnival preparation after the Street Cry colt was slow to respond to treatment for some bone bruising in his near hind fetlock joint.

“He’s got some bone bruising to a hind joint and it’s just getting too hard to manage through the horse’s preparation,” co-trainer Paul Snowden told racing.com.

“We’ve done everything we can but it’s not really healing quickly enough in the time that we need.

“The horse definitely isn’t retired and will race on. We’re shattered because he was our main horse for the spring but thankfully we haven’t lost him.”

“He is a great horse and it is a shame but we won’t take any risks with him.

“I’ll give him three months out, bring him back in mid-November and that will give us time to have him ready for the autumn.”

Pride Of Dubai proved to be one of the top two year olds last season after posting back to back Group 1 wins in the $1m Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28 and in the $1m ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 6, the first day of ‘The Championships’.

The proven Group 1 performer has been installed as one of the early fancies for the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 12 and was prominent in early betting at around the $8 mark with Ladbrokes.com.au.

Pride Of Dubai was also being set for the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in October but will now have to wait until the 2016 Melbourne Autumn Carnival to contest the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.