The Memsie Stakes in Melbourne has become a more serious first-up option for star mare Aeliana following her mishap at the Warwick Farm barrier trials.
The multiple Group 1 winner got her hind leg caught on the starting stalls when standing in the gates for the opening heat at Tuesday’s session, forcing her withdrawal.
She is being treated with anti-inflammatories and an ice hose four times a day, but trainer Chris Waller says so far, there appears to be no serious damage.
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“Minimal swelling and she’s sound,” Waller said.
“We, of course, gave her anti-inflammatories after it so that’s masking a little bit of swelling, and masking a little bit of pain.
“I’d say by Friday we’ll be able to say we’re in the clear. You just never know what bruising could be there, but every sign you can see so far is fantastic.”
While this week’s Rosehill trials will come too soon, Aeliana is expected to have a hit-out at Randwick on Friday week before a decision is made on whether she resumes in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 22 or the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield a week later.
The Sydney assignment has been the favoured option, but Waller admits the extra timing the Memsie would allow has brought that race right into calculations.
“Where it would have been 80-20 before, it’s probably 50-50 now,” he said.
“We’re very confident we’ll still be on track.”
Aeliana is expected to be one of the headline horses of the spring and is high in early markets for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, and the Cox Plate.
— RAS NewsWire
