Mick Price has officially put the pen through Ayrton’s (NZ) (Iffraaj) spring preparation with the boom galloper to be sent to the spelling paddock.
Ayrton was checked into the South Eastern Equine Hospital late last week to treat swelling found on his near-hind leg and while the gelding is responding well to treatment, connections have pulled up stumps on his campaign which included plans to run in the Epsom Handicap and Golden Eagle.
“As of yesterday his four out of five lameness has gone down to a one out five and the infection has subsided a lot, mind you he’s on pretty intense antibiotics so when you come off antibiotics you have to see how the horse reacts,” Price said on Monday, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr.
“But at this stage it’s been a good result because I’ve had one or two horses that don’t respond properly.
“I’d say this preparation is a no no, give him a nice spell build him up again.
“It’s a lot of stress for those horses that have to up and go that type of infection so he can go to the paddock… it takes too much out of them.”
Price will be hoping his luck turns after I’m Thunderstruck found his way into the blackbook of many with a slashing third in Saturday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
“He’s pulled up good, he got pinballed a bit on the day but he ran super and he will train on for the Toorak which is three weeks and then three weeks into the Golden Eagle, so it’s a good program for him,” Price revealed.
“The question is he a Group 1 handicapping horse at this stage and I think he is and I think the mile will be good for him too.
“I mean there’s the Epsom in two weeks but you sort of have to train them on the phone don’t you?
“So I think if you keep him at Caulfield, he goes good at Caulfield, and you have a bit of joy in running and hopefully he gets a run now and he can hopefully win a Toorak and onto a Golden Eagle.”
I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) is $5 favourite with Sportsbet for the Toorak Handicap on October 9.
