3 minute read

One of last season’s leading two-year-old fillies is under an injury cloud.

Steel Rose’s immediate future is unclear with trainer John Wheeler ordering more tests to pinpoint the problem.

“She galloped last Tuesday and she’s been sore since then,” he said. “I’ve had the vet to her and he can’t find anything wrong so it’s frustrating to say the least. I’ll do a scintigraphy to try and find out what’s wrong.”

Steel Rose won two of her six starts last term and was spelled following the only unplaced run of her campaign when eighth after a wide run in the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes behind Vespa at Ellerslie.

“She’s a very good horse and just a natural runner,” Wheeler said.

Nominated for the $A500,000 Gr.1 One Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on October 15, Steel Rose was third on debut and then won at Te Rapa before Christmas before she finished second to Vinnie Eagle in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes on New Year’s Day.

She accounted for the subsequent Group One performer Platinum Balos in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes and was runner-up to Lady Royale in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes.

“She’s a good filly and one of the better ones I’ve had,” Wheeler said. “Lycra was by far the best and won both the Group Ones at two.

“I’ve got a pretty handy team, but they’re not that advanced just yet and I’ll be looking at the end of September and early October to get them going.”

Among them is the three-year-old Macklemore, who showed promise in four runs last season and finished an unlucky fourth in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic on his home track at New Plymouth.