Decision on Gold Trip's future to be made 'in the coming days' after 2022 Melbourne Cup winner suffers tendon injury

2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip’s racing career is in jeopardy after he suffered a tendon injury ruling him out of action until at least June.

Gold Trip provided Ciaron Maher and David Eustace with Melbourne Cup success when scoring at odds of 20-1 under Mark Zahra.

The same rider steered the seven-year-old to a third-place finish in a Caulfield Group 2 last month but Gold Trip has picked up an injury since that seasonal debut.

Maher, who is the sole licence holder again with Eustace embarking on a training career in Hong Kong, posted in a statement on X: "It is with sadness we announce that Gold Trip has sustained a tendon injury.

"It is on the less serious side, as far as tendon injuries go, and we will rehabilitate him regardless of whether he races on or not.

"His Australian racing career delivered arguably the stable's crowning achievement to date with his dominant performance in the 2022 Melbourne Cup.”

Gold Trip’s Melbourne Cup victory was his first in Australia having finished fourth in the 2020 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe behind Sottsass when trained by Fabrice Chappet.

Gold Trip beat Simon and Ed Crisford’s subsequent Caulfield Cup runner-up West Wind Blows when landing his second Group 1 in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October.

Ciaron Maher (right): will consult with vets and Gold Trip's owners before making a decision on his futureCredit: Vince Caligiuri

Maher added: "His win in the 2023 Turnbull Stakes was just as impressive, and he showed us how talented and resilient he is, competing in the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in back-to-back years.

"He is an entire, and a horse of obvious ability, with his fourth place in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe sitting alongside a Melbourne Cup win.

"Our rehab program has seen horses such as Ashrun return from extended time off, and while Gold Trip is a seven-year-old, he is relatively lightly raced so the decision will not be an easy one.

"We would like to thank his wonderful owners for their support, he has taken us on an incredible journey and changed all of our lives. A decision will be made in the coming days after further consultation with our vets and his owners."

Read these next:

Group 1-winning rider fined after falling asleep and missing pre-race parade 

'She was a special one' - Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant dies after complications giving birth 

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer David Eustace to join Hong Kong training ranks 

Do you want £700+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.