Thursday 9 August 2018 10:33, UK
Ed Walker's classy filly Royal Intervention will not run again this season after suffering a setback.
Following a promising debut effort at Lingfield in the spring, the Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber-owned juvenile stepped up to run out an impressive winner of the Listed Empress Stakes at Newmarket in June.
She had to make do with the runner-up spot when a hot favourite for last month's Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, but Walker subsequently discovered a a problem.
He said: "She underperformed that day at Ascot and picked up an injury. For me she was hanging right and funnily enough she has sustained a small injury to her near-fore, and horses tend to hang away from the leg they are feeling pain on.
"She came back after the race and trotted up the next morning and was slightly lame and she will be out for the season, which is real shame.
"She is good and we were very disappointed with Ascot. We thought it was a case of turning up. She had improved physically and mentally.
"She will be back next year. Beforehand we were talking about next year and on pedigree she could stay a mile. I suppose we will get her back in the spring with that in mind, but my gut feeling is though seven furlongs may be her optimum trip.
"We may try go for a (Guineas) trial, then go from there."
