A minor setback has derailed the Golden Slipper campaign of exciting colt Acrobat, who is out of the $3.5 million race.

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace confirmed the Coolmore-owned youngster had sustained a cut to a hock and while the issue was not serious, it had forced them to stop his campaign.

“With the Golden Slipper lead up rapidly approaching, we have simply run out of time and together with Coolmore and his connections, we have made the tough decision to spell him with a view to a spring campaign,” the stable said in a statement.

“Although it is disappointing for all involved, we are not taking any risks and believe a spell is in the best interests of the horse.”

Acrobat was a dominant winner of his only start in the Inglis Nursery at Randwick in December in slick time.

The performance immediately marked him as one of the leading chances for the Golden Slipper, behind stablemate and favourite Enthaar.

Maher and Eustace have good depth in their two-year-old team this season and will have two runners, Sneaky Five and Nice For What, in the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick on Saturday.