Kieswetter-owned star Whisky Baron to miss rest of the year

South African star Whisky Baron is recovering well from the hind leg setback that ruled him out of last Friday's Challenge Stakes, but plans to send him to Hong Kong for the big international meeting in December have been abandoned and he won’t run again this year.

The Met winner is owned by former England T20 cricketer Craig Kieswetter and his brother Ross.

Craig Carey, who manages the family's racing and bloodstock interests, said: "He got a bit of swelling above the joint but the good news is it's nothing serious. There are no fractures, tears or anything like that, and the swelling has subsided after a lot of ice and care over the last few days. We think he must have twisted his ankle.

"He's fine in himself and he can start working again in the next few weeks, but we are going to call it a day for this year and wait until next year with him."

Brett Crawford, who trained the horse in South Africa and has the gelding in his care at Mary Slack's Abington Place stables in Newmarket, which is also Mike de Kock’s UK base, added: "We are not going to look at Hong Kong but we will try again next year."

Whisky Baron, who won all his five South African starts last season, finished only sixth of eight behind Beat The Bank on his British debut in last month's Shadwell Joel Stakes, but it was his first race for eight months and retained rider Greg Cheyne is adamant that the performance was a lot better than it looks on paper.

He said: "Just under a furlong out a horse rolled on top of me and my horse then got a second bump. He was leg-weary by this stage and it took him clean out of the race.

"He would never have beaten the winner, who is clearly something special – but he was still travelling well and quickened away from me – but all things being equal he could have run fourth."

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