Racing: Hero under the knife

Australian racing's cult hero Takeover Target has undergone surgery for a serious leg injury suffered after the July Cup at Newmarket in England.

The veteran gelding was reported by the Racing Post to have cracked a cannon bone in his near-hind leg and was taken to the Newmarket Veterinary Hospital. He is also believed to have fractured the sesamoid bone in the same leg when he put his foot in a hole after the passing the post.

Takeover Target finished a respectable seventh in the July Cup won by Fleeting Spirit.

Trainer Joe Janiak and jockey Jay Ford were too distressed to talk about the injury.

Janiak bought Takeover Target for less than $1400 and has taken him to seven Group One wins in Australia and overseas.

Takeover Target was on his fourth trip to England where he captured the hearts of British racegoers when he won the 2006 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He missed this year's Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot due to an elevated temperature.