Minzaal to miss intended Nottingham comeback

Setback also scuppers Sprint Cup plan as York return instead enters equation.

Minzaal will miss his intended return to action at Nottingham after suffering a setback.

Winner of last season’s Gimcrack Stakes at York, the Owen Burrows-trained colt rounded off his juvenile campaign with a third-placed finish in the Middle Park at Newmarket, but has not been seen in competitive action since.

Surgery on a leg injury sustained in his box meant he missed the first half of the current campaign, and Burrows had hoped to get him back on track in Tuesday’s It Pays To Buy Irish EBF Conditions Stakes.

Plans are again fluid, however.

“Unfortunately Minzaal has had a bit of a setback, and we won’t be declaring him at Nottingham,” said Burrows.

“He worked on Wednesday – we were happy with that and we were happy with him on Thursday.

“I just didn’t think he quite moved right yesterday, however. It is nothing bad, but enough to stop us from declaring him for Tuesday.

“It is a bit of a blow to get him this close, because everything until Friday had gone according to plan. We will know a bit more in a few days if it is going to be a hold-up for a week or so, or if it will be something that will keep him out for longer.”

With a Nottingham prep run ruled out, Burrows confirmed a potential tilt at next month’s Sprint Cup at Haydock is out of the equation too.

He added: “We’ve had such a great run with him the whole way through, and he hadn’t missed a day. The team at Shadwell had done a great job with him as well.

“We felt this race (at Nottingham) was perfect timing-wise, because it would have brought him on a ton before going to the Sprint Cup.

“We are not going to go straight back into a Group One with him on his first run back, so the Sprint Cup will be knocked on the head.

“There is a Listed race at York on September 5 (Garrowby Stakes), and if it is only a little hold-up that could be an option.

“As far as we know, we have got him next season.”

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