Group 1-winning mare Kimochi may have run her final race after sustaining a tendon injury in the lead-up to the Stradbroke Handicap.
Trainer Gary Portelli confirmed the four-year-old was found to be lame following trackwork on the eve of Saturday’s $3 million feature at Eagle Farm, forcing her late withdrawal from the field.
Kimochi’s scratching opened the door for the Tony Gollan-trained Transatlantic to gain a start in the Stradbroke Handicap, stepping up from emergency status into the prestigious Group 1 contest.
A daughter of Brave Smash, Kimochi built an impressive résumé with three stakes wins, highlighted by her breakthrough victory in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. She was recently sold for $2.2 million to Yulong at the 2024 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, underlining her value as a broodmare prospect.