Most expensive jumps horse bought at auction ruled out for season

Interconnected, the most expensive jumps horse bought at auction, has been ruled out for the season with a minor injury.

The five-year-old son of Network, who was bought by Darren Yates for a record £620,000 at the Goffs UK Spring Sale in May, figures among the entries for a novice hurdle at Aintree on Saturday.

However, his trainer Dan Skelton revealed on Tuesday morning that Interconnected had suffered a tendon strain and will be given the whole season off to recover.

“It’s a small tendon strain,” Skelton said. “It’s not the end of the world, and the sensible thing is to give him a year off.

“He’s a very, very big horse, and having that time off won’t do him any harm. It’s a shame for Darren, but it’s only a little injury and there is plenty of time for the horse.”

Yates, who bought Interconnected after being impressed with his second-place finish to Emitom in a Newbury novice hurdle in March, has been plagued by a succession of setbacks to his big-money purchases, which include Blaklion and Don Poli.

Blaklion, fourth in the 2017 Grand National when 8-1 favourite, was ruled out a week before this year’s Aintree showpiece with a hind leg injury, while Don Poli, recruited on the eve of the race at the Aintree sale, failed to stay the 4m2½f trip and could finish only 19th behind Tiger Roll.

Blaklion and Don Poli are now with Skelton and are being aimed at major races in the spring.

“We’re going to rescan Blaklion in December and, all things being well, and he’ll be aimed at the Grand National,” Skelton said.

“Don Poli is going hunter chasing, and the target is the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.”

Yates took the news about Interconnected firmly on the chin. “It’s more bad luck, but he’s a lovely long-term prospect,” he said. “His future will be over fences in due course, and there’s still plenty to look forward to this winter.

“As well as Blaklion and Don Poli I’ve also got South Seas, who never fulfilled his potential on the Flat owing to his aversion to the starting stalls.

“He's been schooling well at Dan’s and I have high hopes that he could develop into a good hurdler. The plan is to run him in a couple of weeks.”

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