Spirit Dancer set for well- deserved holiday after Dubai run

SPIRIT DANCER is set for a wellearned break after finishing lame in his bid for further international honours in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. Richard Fahey’s charge has enjoyed a hugely productive winter on foreign soil, carrying the red- andwhite silks of part- owner and breeder Sir Alex Ferguson to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy before claiming an even more lucrative success in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh. The seven- year- old was unable to land a blow when stepped up in class on Dubai World Cup night, finishing 11th of 12 runners, but was subsequently found to have sustained an injury.

“He has a chip in his joint I’m afraid, so he did pull up lame,” Fahey said yesterday.

“It [ injury] won’t have helped. It was a messy sort of race as he sort of dropped in and never got back into it.

“He was due for a holiday anyway and he’ll get it now. He’s fit enough to travel and we’ll sort him out when we get him home.

“It’s been a fantastic winter with him and he’s got the money in the bank to prove it!”

While Fahey is keen to get his charge back to his North Yorkshire base before committing to future targets, there is every chance Spirit Dancer will be stamping his passport again this year.

The trainer added: “I’d be keen to go back there [ Dubai] again next year, so all roads and plans will lead to go there. I’ve got Hong Kong in my mind as well, so we’ll see. He could have a couple of runs over here and then head back over there.”

Meanwhile, jockey Nico de Boinville paid Constitution Hill a visit yesterday.

Nicky Henderson’s stable star has had no end of health trouble this season, scoping dirty in January and then being laid low with an infection which ruled him out of the defence of his Champion Hurdle title.

Just when connections had hoped for a possible run at Punchestown, he was struck down by suspected colic and spent a few nights at the vets.

It was a relieved Henderson that informed everyone on Monday he was now back at Seven Barrows and De Boinville was keen to check in on him.

“Everyone has been kept in the loop. I went to see him this morning and hopefully he picks up in the next couple of weeks,” he told Racing TV. “He’s certainly feeling a bit sorry for himself and I can see why.”