Injury forces Air Pilot out of Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches
Sunday 26 July 2015 16:29, UK
Trainer Ralph Beckett suffered major disappointment in Munich after Air Pilot had to be withdrawn prior to the start of the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches.
Winner of the Group Three International Stakes at the Curragh a month ago, the six-year-old sidestepped an engagement in Saturday's York Stakes to instead bid for Group One glory in Germany.
Having been supplemented for the 10-furlong contest, the six-year-old was set to go off a hot favourite in the hands of Pat Smullen, but became upset in the starting stalls and had to be taken out of the race.
Beckett said: "He got upset in the stalls and managed to get is leg though the rails in the top half of the gate.
"He has a bad puncture wound above his knee and that's the worst of it.
"The starting gate didn't open, but he managed to get both legs through it.
"Thankfully, Pat is fine."
Asked about the severity of Air Pilot's injury, the trainer said: "I'm not sure. We won't know for a few weeks."
Victory in the race went to Guiliani, trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho and ridden by Filip Minarik.
