Surgery on leg goes well for Gingernuts

Gingernuts has had four screws inserted in his fractured near-fore pastern and has come through the surgery well, according to his managing owners Te Akau Racing.

The dual classic winner injured himself in a freak incident when he was cantering slowly to the gates for last Saturday’s A$2 million group one Emirates Stakes at Flemington.

He was sent immediately to the University of Melbourne veterinary clinic at Werribee and was stabilised until surgery on Monday.

Gingernuts is expected to remain at Werribee for some weeks yet before he is ready to travel back home for recuperation but a decision on his racing future will not be made for some months.

Te Akau Stud principal David Ellis believes Gingernuts’ nature will stand the four-year-old in good stead during his recovery from serious injury.

“He’s got a beautiful temperament. He’s a lovely, kind horse and he’ll be a very good patient,” he said.

The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Gingernuts fractured the pastern as he was cantering to the start on Saturday. Jockey Michael Dee quickly dismounted and veterinary staff were on the scene shortly after.

“The fracture was worse than we had hoped for and he was operated on at the Werribee Vet Clinic,” Ellis said. “The operation went very, very well with four screws put into the pastern.”

Gingernuts, who is given a 50-50 chance of racing again, will spend the next week at the clinic and the following month spelling at a nearby property.

“After that he’ll come home to Te Akau for a good, long spell,” Ellis said.