Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), the world's top-rated turf miler according to the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, will miss the rest of the racing season, South China Morning Post reports. The hulking chestnut reportedly pulled up lame following trackwork Monday and subsequent MRI scans revealed a strained deep digital flexor tendon in the same foot in which he suffered mild lameness ahead of a third-place effort in last month's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile.
“We got the scans back, got the bad news and now we have to put him aside,” trainer John Moore, attending the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale in Australia, told SCMP. “It's very disappointing to have one of the top five horses in the world and to have him sidelined.”
The conditioner was non-committal on the future.
“I've never seen this injury before, so I can't tell you,” Moore told the Post, while acknowledging that Able Friend's size may be at least somewhat to blame.
“He is a 1,300-pound animal, so that may be a factor,” Moore told the publication. “We just have to get him in a paddock and give him some rehab. Most of all, we need to let the injury cure itself in a nice paddock.”
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