Aegon's Further Spring Campaign Doubtful

The immediate prospects for high-class New Zealand galloper Aegon will be decided over the next ten days after the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained 4YO suffered a bleeding incident in Saturday’s Gr1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. The Sacred Falls 4YO looked to be a winning prospect for rider Luke Currie when he ranged up alongside pacemaker and eventual winner Incentivise (Shamus Award) at the 400m, before dropping out quickly to beat just one runner home. Forsman, who watched the race back in New Zealand, was understandably a little confused as to how the situation unfolded. “When you can’t be on-course you find it hard to get a handle on it all from back here in Cambridge,” he said. “I had our people, who were with the horse, clarify the ruling as we needed to know where we stood before we make any further plans for him.” According to NZ Racing Desk, the subsequent stewards report stated that a post-race veterinary examination identified the presence of blood at one or both nostrils. In the opinion of the veterinary surgeon, such bleeding was attributed to external trauma. Forsman advised the horse would now return home to New Zealand for a short break where he would be monitored and scoped fully again before a decision on whether they would continue the planned assault on the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Randwick on October 30.