Rocket man injured

Rocket Man, with Robbie Fradd on board, lands awkwardly jumping the finishing
line lights when successful back in February. The gelding will now be sidelined
for six months after a hairline fracture has been discovered requiring surgery.


Singapore’s sprint sensation Rocket Man will be sidelined for six months with a leg injury following trackwork on Tuesday morning.



It was discovered the three-year-old had suffered a hairline condylar fracture of the cannon bone to his off-side foreleg following x-rays that morning.



Options for trainer Patrick Shaw are for Rocket Man to undergo an operation and having the fracture screwed, or to let it heal naturally.





Shaw said he favoured Rocket Man having the injury repaired under an operation meaning he will be sidelined for around six months and not 12 months if left to heal naturally.



Rocket Man was out cantering on the Polytrack doing light work under race jockey Robbie Fradd.



“Robbie knows the horse so well and thankfully he was on him this morning,” said Shaw.



“He was out to do two rounds of light work, quickening up in the second lap, but Robbie just felt there was something wrong with him.



“He didn’t let him stride up and kept a tight hold of him before dismounting and leading him back.



“It’s lucky we have found it now and it didn’t happen during a race or a fast gallop.



“The result could have been a lot different.”



Shaw believes following the operation and rest the rising four-year-old son of Viscount will make it back to the racetrack.



“He’s still a young horse and the prognosis is good so far,” said Shaw. “We will just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope the operation is a success.”



Shaw believes Rocket Man’s injury might have stemmed from the night he jumped lights at the winning post when successful on the Polytrack back in February.



Following that victory Rocket Man returned to scale with some slight swelling which quickly subsided after the gelding was given an anti-inflammatory injection.



Rocket Man then trained on to win the Group 3 Kranji Sprint over 1200m on March 27, the Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1200m on April 24 before his courageous second to Sacred Kingdom in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m on May 17.



Rocket Man was back in work preparing for a possible trip to Japan for the Group 1 Spinters’ Stakes over 1200m at Nakayama Racecourse on October 4.



Shaw had only returned last Friday from a quick trip to Japan to inspect quarantine facilities in the lead-up to the trip and was then eyeing the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in December for Rocket Man.

geez, thoughtn you were talkin' bout elton john 4 a min ;-0