Champion Singapore sprinter Rocket Man has been scratched from Sunday’s Group One KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) at Kranji due to a ligament injury.
Trainer Patrick Shaw and owner Fred Crabbia made the decision to err on the side of caution after the six-year-old showed succumbed to the ligament strain to his near foreleg.
Singapore Turf Club veterinary surgeon Dr Curry Keoughan said Rocket Man had a swollen left front medial suspensory ligament.
The Singapore Turf Club website said Rocket Man had been battling a mild strain after running second in the Group One Golden Shaheen in Dubai on March 31.
However, Shaw was able to get him to the post to land a fourth consecutive Group 1 Lion City Cup on April 29.
The trainer described it as a sporting injury and likened it to an athlete who runs so fast that they over-reach.
“It’s like twisting an ankle,” Shaw said.
“All it needs is rest and he will get over it.
“If we were to press on it could cause long term damage or even worse irreparable damage and that was not a risk I could take and remember he has a screw in the other leg as well.”
As a three-year-old Rocket Man suffered a condylar fracture to the offside cannon bone that kept him sidelined for eight months.
Shaw said Rocket Man was sound while walking on the leg but the swelling had worsened in recent weeks.
Rocket Man was looking for a repeat victory in the KrisFlyer after winning Singapore’s premier sprint at his third attempt last year.
