Quarantine regulations have ruled Happy Trails out of a trip to Dubai and the Emirates Stakes winner will do his autumn racing in Sydney.
His Adelaide trainer Paul Beshara said the long trip coupled with the stringent requirements to get the horse back to Australia made the exercise too hard.
Happy Trails winning the Emirates Stakes at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Happy Trails had been entered for the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night but will instead have three Group One starts in Sydney – the Canterbury Stakes, the George Ryder Stakes and the Doncaster Mile.
“The quarantine was what killed us in the end,” Beshara said.
“I’m not prepared to put him through a trip like that. He’s still got two years of good racing and it was all too much.
“After Dubai he would have to go to England for 30 days and then make the long trip back.
“It takes a couple of days on a float from Adelaide to Sydney. He’s done it before with no problems.”
Last season as a four-year-old, Happy Trails had three runs in Sydney culminating in a fine sixth in the Doncaster, less than 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner More Joyous.
He had six starts in the spring with six different jockeys. Damien Oliver rode him to his Group One victory on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Oliver is serving a disqualification for a betting offence but Beshara is not rushing to engage a rider.
“I’ve had quite a few jockeys ring up already,” he said.
“It’s not something we need to decide right now.”
Happy Trails had a five week break after the Emirates, holidaying on a farm in the Adelaide Hills.
Beshara said Happy Trails work would be stepped up next week ahead of a couple of jump-outs and a barrier trial before his trip to Sydney trip.
