French import Lastotchka will miss the spring carnival due to a bout of colic.
Michael Kent Jnr told Racing.com that although Lastotchka came through the ordeal well, she requires a prolonged recovery.
“She went to the South Eastern Equine Hospital, where they do such a good job, and we tried conservative treatment first, but she was too uncomfortable, so we were forced to go and look inside,” Kent Jnr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price, told Racing.com.
“In the end, they had to unravel some of her bowel. It didn’t require any further surgery but just the, I think, 12-centimetre incision into her abdomen to go and have a look, requires three months to heal.
“I would say she was lucky and we are lucky too.”
Lastotchka, purchased by Australian Bloodstock after her Group 3 victory at Longchamp, finished 13th in last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on her only Australian start.
Kent Jnr is confident she’ll return to work for the early 2025 carnivals.
“She’ll be right to get back for the autumn, no problems at all,” he said.
“She was going great too. She was going very well.
“She is a very lightly raced horse with very few miles on the clock so it’s still all ahead of her.”
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