Favourite Contributer is out of Saturday’s $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick after he was found to be lame in the off foreleg on the eve of the race. The Godolphin galloper, a winner of four of his five starts in Australia was a strong favourite for the race on the back of his dominant wins in the Chipping Norton and Ranvet Stakes.
But the market for Australia’s richest weight-for-age race has been thrown wide open with news that the five-year-old is lame and may have run his last race. Godolphin have indicated that Contributer could head to stud after this campaign.
Japanese raider To The World is now set to assume favouritism with Cox Plate winner Adelaidealso set to shorten after the withdrawal of Contributer.
Godolphin are now without a runner in the Queen Elizabeth but do have short-priced favourite Hartnell in the $1.6 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m).
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse was also forced to scratch Adrift from the ATC Oaks.
Fresh from running ninth last start a fortnight ago, the Light Fingers Stakes winner was ruled out because of swelling to her near hind leg, joining Vinery Stud Stakes
victor Fenway (abscess) in being withdrawn from the race on Friday.