The racing career of Think It Over is under a cloud after the popular gelding suffered a tendon injury that has ruled him out of the spring carnival.
While the full extent of the issue is not yet known, trainer Kerry Parker said they would be taking no risks with the welfare of the gelding, who is affectionately known around the stable as ‘Sid’.
“I am sure his fans, particularly the groundswell of support from his hometown in Wollongong, will be as disappointed as we are, and it would be heartbreaking to think that this could end his career,” Parker said.
“But if ever there was a horse that can beat the odds and make a successful comeback, it is our Sid.”
A rising seven-year-old, Think It Over has been one of Sydney’s pin-up horses this season, winning four of his six starts in the spring and returning in the autumn to land a breathtaking victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, leaving a field of weight-for-age stars in his wake.
Connections had hoped to target the Cox Plate with him this year.
Think It Over will now be spelled before undergoing a rehabilitation program, but owner Richard Johnston says the horse will only race again if they are satisfied with his recovery.
“Think It Over has brought me, my family, Kerry and a legion of fans so much joy during his career,” Johnston said.
“But at the end of the day, we need to put the horse’s needs first. We will do all that it takes to ensure Sid is looked after.”
A son of champion So You Think, Think It Over has raced 35 times for 12 wins and 11 placings, banking more than $6.1 million in prizemoney.
Over the past two seasons, he has risen to become one of the eminent middle-distance horses in the country and is a dual Group 1 winner of the 2021 George Ryder and 2022 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Think It Over was one of the leading contenders in the 2022 Cox Plate and was high up in markets for the 2022 Caulfield Cup.
