Trainer Kym Davison’s hopes of claiming the Albury Gold Cup have been thwarted with Overdue forced to retire after a bleeding attack.
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The six-year old collapsed to his home track last week during trackwork, with jockey Emma Campbell suffering a fractured pelvis.
“When we heard about Emma, the news only got worse as the day wore on, so we really feel for Emma,” Davison said.
“It puts the kybosh on a week that could have been quite handy.”
Overdue was in line to contest Friday’s listed $180,000 feature race.
The news only got worse ... it puts the kybosh on a week that could have been quite handy.
- Kym Davison
It’s now the third time Davison has had a runner prepared for the Cup, but Overdue’s outstanding third place last year has been his only starter.
Overdue’s dam, Overture, bowed a tendon leading up to the 2008 Gold Cup.
But Davison remains philosophical.
“These things happen in racing unfortunately,” he said.
Overdue had 43 starts for six wins, with his run in last year’s Albury Mile showcasing his exciting style.
He was ninth at both the 800 and 400-metre marks, before storming home.
“In practice, we’d have him up on the pace a couple of times and he did nothing,” Davison said.
“The whole breed’s a slow-maturing breed, it just seems they’re big, long-striding horses who just need to balance up and have one crack at them from around the 400m, it’s exciting.”
That win on the first day of the carnival set the scene for a stirring Cup run.
“His highlight was running third (to French import Green Sweet) in a very strong race, half the field had group form,” Davison said.
“I’ve looked at the field this year and you can’t cry over spilt milk.”
Similar prizemoney in Sydney and Melbourne has damaged Cup nominations.