Leon Macdonald has confirmed that well-fancied Rebel Raider is OUT of the spring carnival. The Derby-winning 4YO was to have run in Sat's Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington but now he faces surgery to have a piece of bone removed from the leg. Leon says: 'He somehow snapped off the top of his sesamoid bone and we are thinking that he must have done it by kicking a wall as it is a most unusual injury...The vets tell me he's a 70-30 chance of making a full recovery but I think it's better than that.

Leon Macdonald has confirmed that well-fancied Rebel Raider is OUT of the spring carnival. The Derby-winning 4YO was to have run in Sat's Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington but now he faces surgery to have a piece of bone removed from the leg. Leon says: 'He somehow snapped off the top of his sesamoid bone and we are thinking that he must have done it by kicking a wall as it is a most unusual injury...The vets tell me he's a 70-30 chance of making a full recovery but I think it's better than that.''

Bad news, too, from the Robert Smerdon stable...His highly-regarded stayer Driffield Gold, winner of five of his past six starts in Melbourne, has picked up an infection in a bad foot abscess and Smerdon confirms he is now out of the spring racing.

Gone...Grp 1 winning mare Bel Mer has been retired following her disappointing run at Caulfield last Saturday.

News from the Jason Coyle yard is that My Naara is an above-average type...Won a 900m trial at Rosehill in slick style, clocking 53.67s.

Racing NSW stewards have begun an inquiry after a post-race urine sample taken from the Barbara Joseph-trained Follow The Command allegedly showed the presence of aminocaproic acid. The swab was taken from the gelding afterhis win in at Wagga on Sunday, Aug 9.

Jinxed...Imported galloper Alessandro Volta's trouble-plagued Aussie career continues. He's out of the spring racing after sustaining an injury at Balaklava on Wednesday. A spokesman for trainer David Hayes says AV 'pulled the tendon sheath away from the fetlock joint.' The stable is hopeful he will return autumn 2010.