Veterinary checks on Monday will determine the racing future of Puissance de Lune. Owner Gerry Ryan has ruled Puissance de Lune out of the rest of the spring after speaking on Sunday with trainer Darren Weir.
Ryan said Weir told him that Puissance de Lune was “very, very lame” after finishing 12th in Saturday’s Cox Plate.
“'Weiry’ said he’s very sore, very lame. There is a joint issue and we’ll have to see what the vets think,” Ryan said.
Ryan said Puissance de Lune, the long-standing favourite for the Melbourne Cup, would be taken on Monday to the Ballarat Veterinary Clinic
“He’ll get a good going over and then we’ll decide if he can race on,” Ryan said. “Weiry said his head was hanging (on Sunday). He said he felt the ground the last 500 metres...It’s disappointing, but as they say that’s racing.”
Ryan said Puissance de Lune, a winner of the Bendigo Cup and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last year before dead-heating in the Blamey Stakes and then winning the Peter Lawrence first up in the spring, will be spelling within a week at his Limerick Lane property near Nagambie (Vic).