Lake Forest Set for Stalls Test After Withdrawal from City of York Stakes
York, UK – In the latest horse racing news, the three-year-old chestnut colt Lake Forest is set to undergo a stalls test after his late withdrawal from the Group Two City of York Stakes on Saturday. The William Haggas-trained horse was a 7/2 favorite for the race but became unsettled in the stalls, forcing him to be scratched from the event.
According to Sean Graham, the racing manager to co-owner Tony Bloom, Lake Forest has emerged largely unscathed from the incident, with only a few minor scratches and bruises. The connections are, however, puzzled by what caused the horse to behave in such an uncharacteristic manner, as he has never shown any tendency to play up in the stalls before.
“He’s just got a few scratches and bruises but he’s fine, it came as a big surprise to all of us,” said Graham. “He’s never shown any tendency to play up in the stalls and it’s not as if any of the horses beside him were kicking off. I don’t know whether the wind hit the stalls and made them rattle, we’ve no idea what prompted him to do what he did.”
Now, the focus shifts to Lake Forest’s upcoming stalls test scheduled for this Saturday at Chelmsford. Should the horse successfully navigate through the test, the connections will have a few options to consider for the remainder of the season. These include a race at Haydock Park and another at Doncaster the following Saturday.
The team is, however, mindful of the importance of quick ground conditions, as Lake Forest requires such a surface to perform at his best. There is also a possibility of the horse traveling to the United States, but that would only be considered if there is no chance of securing suitable ground in the UK before the end of the season.
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