Trainer Rob Heathcote is gutted following a likely career ending injury to Work The Room but remains optimistic Excellantes can lift the stable’s fortunes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Heathcote is on a stud tour of New Zealand and received the bad news of Work The Room’s injury on Tuesday.
Work The Room had been due to take on Excellantes in the Listed Keith Noud Quality (1200m).
“Unfortunately he’s out of the Keith Noud and his future is grim after bowing a tendon while working at Eagle Farm on Tuesday morning,” Heathcote said.
“I’ve spoken to my staff while I’ve been here in New Zealand and it doesn’t sound good.
“I feel gutted especially after he produced such an enormous win last start.”
Heathcote returns home on Friday and will order a further inspection to determine Work The Room’s future.
“From what my staff has told me his career is probably finished but I’ll assess him myself and get another opinion when I get home tomorrow.
“But it looks fairly grim.”
Work The Room, a half-brother to former top stayer Zipping, caused Heathcote some minor embarrassment last start by beating Excellantes over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on November 12.
Heathcote had previously declared Excellantes as his best chance in the race and only gave Work The Room an outside hope.
A son of Bel Esprit, Work The Room won three races for Melbourne trainer Colin Little before being transferred to Heathcote at the start of the year.
Under Heathcote, Work The Room started seven times for two wins and two placings.
Heathcote is happy with Excellantes despite his surprise defeat by Work The Room last start and is confident the four-year-old can bounce back.
“Statistics don’t lie as he’s never won first-up and he’s unbeaten second up,” Heathcote said.
“He’s got a wide barrier which will make things harder for him but he’s got good gate speed to get across.
“It’s a very strong race and it deserves its Listed status.”
Heathcote also nominated Solzhenitsyn for the Keith Noud but preferred to start him and stablemates My Limit and Sway To Go in the David Jones Handicap (1200m).
“I nominated him for the Keith Noud but I purposely decided to run him in the Class Six,” Heathcote said.
“He gets into that race well at the weights and he’ll be hard to beat.
“He’ll go on to the Summer Series if he runs well before ultimately being aimed at the Brisbane winter carnival next year.”
The Summer Series begins with the Group Three George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday week.
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