Written by Paul Vettise
The Oaks Stud-bred and raced Group 1 winner Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) is unlikely to make another appearance this year.
The 4-year-old was out to press his claims for selection for the $15 million The Everest in Saturday’s G2 The Shorts at Randwick, but tailed the field home and pulled up 2/5 lame in the off foreleg.
“He trotted up Sunday and was a bit worse if anything so obviously things have gone amiss,” Williams said.
The Clayton Chipperfield-trained Catalyst was x-rayed on Monday morning and will be on a plane back to New Zealand on Sunday.
“He’s got problems in all four fetlock joints, but he definitely doesn’t need any surgery, just time out,” The Oaks General Manager and Racing Manager for owner Dick Karreman said.
“He’s got problems in all four fetlock joints, but he definitely doesn’t need any surgery, just time out.” – Rick Williams
Catalyst suffered a similar problem in Melbourne earlier this year after he had pushed Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) to the limit when narrowly beaten in the G3 CS Hayes S. before finishing a below-par sixth behind the Queenslander in the G1 Australian Guineas and was spelled.
“It looks like a continuation of that, I don’t know why because we gave him plenty of time,” Williams said.
“My initial reaction is to give him his 4-year-old year off and start with him again this time next year. The only other possibility might be to get him back and go to a Brisbane carnival, but I’m inclined to give him his 4-year-old season off.”
Catalyst (NZ) led by owner Dick Karreman returning to scale after winning last year’s G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton | Image courtesy of Racing Images
Catalyst was the star New Zealand 3-year-old of last season with five unbeaten performances, including a runaway victory in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
The gelding returned from a spell to impressively win a trial at Taupo last month to fuel expectations of a bold showing in The Shorts and a possible crack at The Everest.
“He was working like he’d improved off his 3-year-old year and we were actually very confident going into the race,” Williams said. “Glen (Boss) said he travelled beautifully and then just lost his stride. These things happen and you’d rather it not happen to him, but that’s racing.”
