Artistic’s racing future in doubt
ARTISTIC’S future remains unclear after veterinary tests have revealed the Group I winner to be suffering from bone problems.
“I knew when I got to Brisbane and she trotted up that something was wrong,” The Oaks Stud’s racing manager Rick Williams said.
The New Zealand Oaks heroine was right off her game during a two-start Queensland campaign and returned home for an extensive course of treatment.
“We put her through scintigraphy and found out that she has some issues in the hock area so we’re working on that at the moment,” Williams said.
“We’ll get to know in about four to six weeks whether she goes back into work or if she’ll be retired.
“In simple terms it’s bone bruising and probably as a result of the very hard tracks we had over the summer.”
Artistic had looked to be progressing well in the autumn with a solid fifth in the Group I New Zealand Stakes before she finished sixth in the Listed Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes.
“She ran a very nice race in Ocean Park’s Group I, but she
‘We’ll get to know in about four to six weeks whether she goes back into work or if she’ll be retired.’ Rick Williams
pulled up badly with the thumps and did again after Awapuni,” Williams said.
“We worked through that with electrolytes and had various people go over her.”
Artistic subsequently finished a close second at Hastings to earn a trip to the Queensland carnival where she failed to fire in either the Group III Premier’s Cup or the Group II Brisbane Cup.
Meanwhile, stablemate Zurella will definitely be back in action later in the year at the Melbourne spring carnival.
“The Group I Myer Classic at Flemington on Derby Day her main aim,” Williams said.