David Hayes has been forced to put the Melbourne Cup preparation of Changingoftheguard on hold after the English import developed an abscess in his near-hind hoof.Changingoftheguard was noticeably lame when he came out of his box on Thursday morning, which forced Hayes to cancel his planned gallop with the Herman Brown-trained pair Bankable and Mourilyan.Hayes said the abscess in itself was nothing serious but the horse would not be able to gallop until it burst, which he hopes is before Monday.

David Hayes has been forced to put the Melbourne Cup preparation of Changingoftheguard on hold after the English import developed an abscess in his near-hind hoof.

Changingoftheguard was noticeably lame when he came out of his box on Thursday morning, which forced Hayes to cancel his planned gallop with the Herman Brown-trained pair Bankable and Mourilyan.

Hayes said the abscess in itself was nothing serious but the horse would not be able to gallop until it burst, which he hopes is before Monday.

"He walked for an hour this morning and it was okay when he warmed up but he was very sore when he cooled down," Hayes said.

Hayes has had a poultice placed on the hoof and said it was now a matter of waiting.

"It came on quickly so let's hope it goes away just as quickly. If it burst this afternoon he could be back on the track tomorrow," he said.

"We've got a few days up our sleeve (as far as the Melbourne Cup is concerned), but if he's not back on the track by Monday he will have missed too much work to start in it."

The new Australian owners of Changingoftheguard were on hand to see the horse in the flesh for the first time and like Hayes were impressed with the look of the Montjeu four-year-old.

With Changingoftheguard unable to gallop, Bankable (Matt Pumpa) and Mourilyan (Glyn Schofield) worked together over 1600 metres, sprinting home strongly over the final 600m.

When the gallop was first organised, Brown asked Hayes if he could arrange a jockey for Bankable and Pumpa was happy to do the job.

"He's a lovely, big horse and he wanted to go faster," Pumpa said.

Bankable led in the gallop, which is not his usual style according to Brown, and they finished on equal terms with neither horse being extended.

Schofield, who will ride Bankable in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day, was also happy with Mourilyan who he'll ride in the Melbourne Cup on November 3.

"He impressed me when I rode him for the first time last Saturday morning. He feels like a horse who can relax and he has a turn of foot," Schofield said.

Brown said Bankable and Mourilyan would gallop again on Saturday morning although he hadn't decided if they would work together.

Godolphin's Kirklees is also likely to have his first serious hitout on Saturday morning since finishing seventh to Viewed in the Caulfield Cup.

Sydney-based trainer Chris Waller will be at Sandown on Saturday morning to see his Melbourne Cup contender, import Warringah, in a solid hitout and he may work with another international visitor, Munsef.