A minor setback has forced trainer Kelso Wood to abandon Melbourne spring hopes for Group One placegetter Zero Rock.
Zero Rock is making a slow recovery from a joint infection which ended Wood’s plans to send her interstate.
“It’s not life threatening but she developed an infection in her joint which has put us out of business for Melbourne,” Wood said.
“It’s put her about a month behind in her preparation.
“Luckily, we’ve still been able to work her and we’ve had her on a walking machine but I’ve got to be careful with her.
“She was going great and was right on target for Melbourne.
“There were couple of races I had picked out for her in the south then she was going to come back for the Magic Millions but she’d get a lot of weight there after what she did in the winter.”
Wood is unsure when Zero Rock will resume racing but expects her to be back trialling within six weeks.
“She’s about a month to six weeks away from trialling if all goes well,” he said.
Wood gave Zero Rock a month in the paddock to recover from her hectic winter carnival campaign.
The daughter of Danzero was placed three times at Group level during the winter.
After failing in her comeback in the Group Two Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm in late April, Zero Rock was runner-up to Kanzan in the Group Three Glenlogan Park Stakes at Doomben on May 21.
She proved a bridesmaid again when second to Hurtle Myrtle in the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm in June before third after a wide passage behind Sincero in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap on the same track a week later.
Zero Rock’s winter swansong came in the Group One Winter Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm a fortnight later when she finished sixth to Yosei.
Wood is uncertain of Zero Rock’s plans next campaign but believes her best hope of winning at elite level remains on home soil.
“I’d like to give her another chance at winning a Group One and her best hope of achieving that would be during the winter carnival in Brisbane next year,” he said.
AAP TURF
