Dual St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov “has a battle on his hands” as a result of the neck fracture he suffered in Dubai last weekend.
The Roger Varian-trained star was due to contest the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Saturday but had to be withdrawn after he reared up and struck his head on the stalls when unsettled by another runner.
He has since undergone successful surgery in Dubai but is unlikely to race again, according to connections. Disclosing the details of the injury on Thursday, Varian said Eldar Eldarov had sustained “a complete, ventrally displaced fracture of the second cervical vertebrae in his neck. This was a significant injury which required stabilising surgery”.
Vets were flown in from the US and Britain to carry out the surgery. “We are pleased to say that the surgery went well, and Eldar Eldarov is now recovering in Dubai Equine Hospital,” said Varian.
“It was a complicated procedure, and his recovery is not without its challenges, but he is currently doing well.”
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He added: “It would be wrong to say that Eldar Eldarov is out of the woods; he has a battle on his hands, but he has always been a fighter.
Eldar Eldarov won the 2022 St Leger at Doncaster and added the Irish St Leger on his final start last year, taking his earnings past £1 million.
Chris Wall, racing manager for owner Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said: ”I think we can safely say he won’t be returning to racing, it’s now a question of whether he can do a stud job or whether he just has a happy retirement somewhere.”
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