The globe-trotting Rich Tapestry (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) may have his travels curtailed following a below-par barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday.
The 8-year-old, who had been pencilled in to make his swansong in the Korea Sprint – a local Group 1 contest over 1200 metres on the country's inagural international raceday on Sept. 11 – appeared to be uncomfortable in his trial under jockey Olivier Doleuze and was eased down to finish sixth of 12.
His trainer Michael Chang said after the exercise, “His trial was only so-so. He was feeling a little soreness in his joint so we will give him some medication today and then see how he is at the weekend. If he passes the vet, we will go on to Korea, but if he is not himself then we will not take him.”
Rich Tapestry has been off the track since sustaining an injury when finishing seventh in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night at the end of March.
“He injured the joint in Dubai and I gave him three months off. I started him back in late June and he's been working up to this race in Korea but this morning he was just feeling a bit sore again,” Chang explained.
“Hopefully he will still make it to Korea but, if not, he's done his job, so if he does not go to Korea I'll recommend to the owners that we retire him.”
Having started his racing career in his native Ireland under the care of Dermot Weld, the Moyglare Stud-bred Rich Tapestry was exported to Hong Kong where he won the Listed Sprint Cup. Having also landed two Group 3 contests in Dubai, the high point of his career came in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship in 2014, in which he became the first Hong Kong-trained horse to win a race in America.
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