Trainer Steve Wallace says Railway Stakes winner Gilded Venom is fighting for his life and has only a slim chance of racing again.Wallace said the Golden Snake five-year-old had an infection in his nearside knee which has stumped local and international veterinarians.He noticed that the gelding's knee was swollen and he was mildly lame on New Year's Eve."When he was a yearling, the same knee blew up and we treated him with antibiotics which fixed the problem," Wallace told perthracing.com.au."I
Trainer Steve Wallace says Railway Stakes winner Gilded Venom is fighting for his life and has only a slim chance of racing again.
Wallace said the Golden Snake five-year-old had an infection in his nearside knee which has stumped local and international veterinarians.
He noticed that the gelding's knee was swollen and he was mildly lame on New Year's Eve.
"When he was a yearling, the same knee blew up and we treated him with antibiotics which fixed the problem," Wallace told perthracing.com.au.
"I immediately took Gilded Venom to the Baldivis Veterinary Clinic on New Year's Day for treatment.
"However he didn't respond to the antibiotics and the problem has continued since then.
"We are trying a new form of treatment used in the UK with him that consists of flushing the knee joint out with saline and antibiotics, while the area around the knee is isolated with a tourniquet.
"There are signs the knee is starting to respond and his white cell count is starting to return to somewhere near normal.
"The longer the problem exists the greater the damage is caused to his knee.
"The bacteria produce an enzyme which eats away at the knee cartilage.
"All we are hoping is to be able to get him sound enough to make it back to the farm and he can live out the rest of his life with some of the other retirees we have at the stud.
"The most optimistic outlook is that after six months we may be able to look at putting him back into light work, but at the moment our concern is for the horse's welfare.
"Gilded Venom has given us a wonderful ride over his career and especially during the carnival. We all understand the racing game and that's the way it goes."
Gilded Venom, who hasn't raced since winning the Group Two CB Cox Stakes (2100m) at Ascot on December 17, was to race in the eastern states during the autumn carnivals.
The West Australian star won the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) in November before finishing runner-up to Niconero in the Group One Kingston Town Stakes (1800m) on December 6.
He has raced 20 times for eight wins, six seconds, two thirds and more than $1.1 million in stakes earnings.