Group
I winning Pierro stallion Levendi will miss the upcoming autumn carnival and
faces possible retirement to stud after fracturing his pelvis in a trial at
Warwick Farm on Monday morning.
The Peter Gelagotis-trained four year-old appeared to jump awkwardly in the
fifth heat before rider Brenton Avdulla eased the horse to a stop.
He returned to the stalls at Warwick Farm, however subsequent testing revealed
the horse to have sustained a pelvic fracture.
Levendi has not raced since winning the Group I ATC Australian Derby last year
and was sidelined through the spring as the result of surgery for bone chips in
a front leg, but that condition was not a factor in the latest injury.
As a Group I winning son of champion sire Pierro from a daughter of champion
sire Redoute's Choice, Levendi makes appeal as a stallion prospect and has won
five of 10 starts earning over $1.6 million..
Team Gelagotis Tweeted that his future would be decided in coming months based
upon medical advice from their entire veterinary team.