MASTER OATS has been denied the chance to defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown after a recurrence of leg problems flared up after working at the weekend.
Trainer Kim Bailey reluctantly conceded the gelding's season was over after scans on the 10-year-old's front legs revealed heat in his off-fore. "He has had leg problems before and there is always the chance that it could happen again," Bailey reflected yesterday. "But I'm just glad it happened now and not during the race when it could have been a lot worse."
Bailey is taking the only option available to him in retiring the horse for the season but added: "There is a pretty good chance that he will return next season."
The gelding is in no discomfort according to his trainer who said: "The horse is fine, he is not lame or anything, but he is no longer in the yard - he is down at Marlborough where he will spend the summer before coming back into the yard before next season.
"He has had seasons out through this before, but he will come back."
Jamie Osborne, who was due to ride Master Oats following the failure of Norman Williamson to come back from a dislocated right shoulder, was understandably disappointed yesterday.
His agent Gavin Davies relayed Osborne's thoughts. "Obviously Jamie is very disappointed at not riding Master Oats in the Gold Cup, but he is more disappointed for the owner Paul Matthews, trainer Kim Bailey and everyone connected with the horse," Davies said.
Master Oats has always been a difficult horse to train - he has missed three full seasons in his 10 years - but this latest setback will come as a body blow to the Bailey yard after the success of last year.
The 10-year-old enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom last season, rising over 20lb in the official ratings in the three races immediately preceding his 15 lengths defeat of Dubacilla in chasing's blue riband.
After the Gold Cup, Christopher Mordaunt raised him a further 5lb to a career-high mark of 170.
Although his performances this season - pulled up in the Rehearsal Chase, third in the King George and second in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown - were essentially disappointing, he had indicated with his seven-lengths second to Imperial Call last time, that he was on his way back.
The enforced absence of Master Oats who was as low as 9 to 2 in one list, will therefore come as welcome if uncalled for news, to the connections of One Man and Imperial Call.
Favourite One Man was clipped marginally from 5 to 4 to 11 to 10 with William Hill while Imperial Call dropped half a point from 5 to 1 joint second favourite to 9 to 2.
They then bet 5/1 Dublin Flyer, 8/1 Monsieur Le Cure, Rough Quest, 12/1 Couldnt be Better, 20/1 Jodami, Barton Bank, 40/1 bar
