Promising filly La Vernazza will head to the spelling paddock after pulling up injured last week. The Brendan and Jo Lindsay-owned filly had joined trainer Jamie Richards‘ Sydney team ahead of the spring, however, she will now be put on ice until next year.
“She injured her hamstring somehow. We will just take it easy with her and it probably rules her out of the spring,” Richards told Sky Sports Radio. “It’s heartbreaking really because I think she is a very talented filly, but we have just got to do the right thing by her.”
The daughter of More Than Ready was held in high regard by her camp and was being set on a similar spring path as stablemate Probabeel followed last year. “We were putting her on the same sort of programme that we put Probabeel on,” Richards said. “That’s the opinion the team, Cambridge Stud and (former trainer) Lance Noble, had on her. She came to our stable for an Australian campaign. “We will look after her and hopefully get her right. We will set her up and see how she goes in the autumn.”
Meanwhile, Richards was pleased with Probabeel’s 1050m trial behind Bivouac at Randwick on Tuesday. “I thought she looked great,” Richards said. “She never really trials that well because she has the blinkers off, but I was really pleased with that. “She got through the line and looked good, it was short of her best, but we will just keep her ticking over towards the Bill Ritchie (Group 3, 1400m) on Saturday-week.”
She will then likely head to the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on her way towards the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m). “She holds a nomination for the Golden Eagle (A$7.5 million, 1500m) as well, but the plan has been to set her for the Cox Plate and that is what we are trying to do.”