Ozzie Kheir, the owner of the promising three-year-old colt Saint George, has decided to withdraw the horse from this year’s Spring Carnival, including the Melbourne Cup.
Saint George, who is currently trained by Andrew Balding, recently ran in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, following a second-place finish at Royal Ascot.
Kheir revealed that the horse experienced a minor setback which prompted a shift in focus to future events in the autumn season.
According to Kheir, the decision to pull back was influenced by the horse’s young age and the significant potential he shows for future races.
While the setback was minor and would likely only set the horse back two to three weeks, the team chose a conservative approach to give him ample time to recover and prepare for the autumn season.
The announcement also led to the cancellation of a planned UK visit by trainer Ciaron Maher, who had intended to evaluate Saint George this week.
Saint George had been listed as a $15 chance to win the Melbourne Cup 2023 with online bookmaker Ladbrokes.
