'It's a great shame' – Karl Burke reveals Venetian Sun faces race against time to save her career after tendon injury

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High-class filly Venetian Sun has sustained an injury which has ended her season and may mean she never races again.

A decision will be made early next year as to whether the dual Group 1 winner will return to training or be retired for breeding.

"Unfortunately she's picked up an injury," trainer Karl Burke revealed to the Racing Post. "It's a great shame.

"It's a lesion of her right-fore tendon. There's enough there to pull up stumps for the time being and then a decision will be made early next year as to whether she stays in training or goes to the breeding sheds.

Karl Burke: "There's enough there to pull up stumps for the time being"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"We'll see how it mends. There's a little tear in the tendon and time is a healer with those types of things. It's just a question of how quickly it heals."

Venetian Sun was a high-class two-year-old last season and gave jockey Clifford Lee his first Group 1 success when landing the Prix Morny at Deauville. And horse and jockey doubled their tally by taking the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this June.

She finished second in the July Cup three weeks ago and Burke said: "We're wondering whether she did something at Newmarket.

"She came back with a cut on a leg and she was treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, which may have just masked this issue. 

"She had a very quiet time and we only started her back in work last week. She was doing routine work this week, had a little bit of heat in a leg and that's what we found with a scan."

Venetian Sun won the Albany Stakes last yearCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Venetian Sun, who is owned by Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, has Group 1 entries at Haydock and Ascot this autumn and Burke said: "She's a fantastic filly and I still think she had an awful lot to offer as well. It's very disappointing for everybody connected but that can happen."

The three-year-old has won six of her nine races, including the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and the Sandy Lane at Haydock this spring, and earned more than £1 million in prize-money.

Venetian Sun won the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in MayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"She was amazing at Ascot last year as a two-year-old and repeated that this year," Burke said. "The frustrating thing is that the only time she had her ground was at Haydock and she really showed what she could do with a bit of cut there.

"She's a very good filly and let's hope she heals quickly and we can have another good year with her next year."

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