Everest Dream for Headwall Shattered

Hopes for a tilt at the $20 million Everest have been dashed for Concorde Stakes winner Headwall, who has been ruled out of the spring after suffering a hind leg injury, reports punters.com.au. The 6YO sprinter, by five-time Group 1-winning European sprinter Dream Ahead, pulled up lame after Saturday morning trackwork, with further veterinary assessment confirming connections’ worst fears. Matthew Smith, who trains the gelding, had hoped the setback would prove minor, but by Monday morning the prognosis had worsened. “Headwall has an injury to his hind leg and he will go for further scans today,” he explained. “He was a lame after his work on Saturday morning and I was hoping it wasn’t anything too serious. But we’ve had the vets down to look at him and the horse won’t be racing again this spring. He was flying, he had never been going better so this is tough to take.” The blow is all the more bitter given how sharply Headwall had progressed over the past 12 months. Last autumn, he delivered placings in both the Gr1 Newmarket Handicap and Gr1 TJ Smith Stakes – behind fellow Everest hopefuls Joliestar and Briasa respectively – and returned this campaign with an explosive win in the Concorde, defeating Lady Shenandoah in dominant fashion. Bookmakers quickly slashed his Everest price to $26, and Everest slot-holders had shown interest, but the dream is now both derailed and deferred. Bred and part-owned by Reg Young, Headwall will be mothballed until at least until the autumn. His career to date has produced an admirable record of seven wins and nine placings from 18 starts, with earnings over $2.1 million. Smith, who still had to notify Racing NSW stewards and a potential Everest slot-holder, was frank about the emotional toll. “Unfortunately, he won’t be going to The Everest now,” he said. “I’ve also got to ring the (Everest) slot-holder who was interested in Headwall – I’ve had better mornings.”