Racing: Injury ends sprint marvel's career

Takeover Target, one of the great stories of the Australian turf, has been retired.

Part-owner and trainer Joe Janiak made the decision yesterday after Takeover Target had emergency surgery at the Newmarket equine veterinary hospital in England.

The 9-year-old gelding had five screws inserted in his cracked off hind cannon bone, an injury he sustained in Saturday's group one July Cup at Newmarket.

Takeover Target fought on courageously to finish seventh, beaten by less than five lengths by Fleeting Spirit.

"Thankfully, it's all good news," Janiak told Britain's Racing Post. "He will be resting at the hospital for a couple of months.

"He seems fine after the operation. He just needs rest."

Janiak described "as a great adventure" his five-year world odyssey with Takeover Target, whose eight group one sprint wins rank second behind only Manikato's 11 in Australia.

Takeover Target has been a crowd favourite in Australia , having won major races in every mainland state.

But he has also captured the hearts of racing fans around the world.

After the news that the champion sprinter was recovering from leg surgery, fans from Britain, Ireland and even Germany expressed their relief that his injury was not fatal.

"Fingers crossed for a long and happy retirement," was the response from a German fan on the Racing Post website.

An Irish fan wrote:"What a legend. He's been a fantastic addition to the European summer the last few years."

Takeover Target had 41 starts for 21 wins, six seconds and four thirds. He won A$6,019,400 ($7,400,000).

Meanwhile, jockey Steven Arnold remained at a loss to explain Scenic Blast's failure in the 1200m July Cup.

Arnold said that he could not fault the action of the West Australian sprinter, backed into A$2.40 favourite.

"I'm not really sure what the reason is. He put in a shocker," Arnold told the Herald Sun newspaper. "He was just beaten too far out."

- AAP