Ortensia set for Australia return after Haydock injury

The Nunthorpe Stakes winner suffered a one-inch cut in her leg during the Betfred Sprint Cup on Saturday.

Ortensia will soon go into quarantine ahead of the journey back to Australia.

MERSEYSIDE, UK // Ortensia will soon return home to Australia after sustaining an injury in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

The Nunthorpe Stakes winner suffered an overreach during the six-furlong feature, resulting in a one-inch cut in her leg as she finished well beaten behind Society Rock.

Trainer Paul Messara reports the damage not to be too serious and his stable star is expected to go into quarantine shortly in preparation for her long trip across the globe.

"She's a bit tender. She sustained a pretty good splicing at the back of her fetlock in the race," said Messara.

"I'm not sure exactly at what stage of the race she did it, but she got a good one-inch cut right at the back of the fetlock right over the sesamoid, so it would have been quite painful for her to run on it.

"She did it early in the race and has done it a few times because she actually cut through the bandage. We had both fetlocks bandaged and still managed to put an inch splice in it.

"We're not sure if she did it jumping out of the stalls in the first few strides or at another stage.

"It certainly is sore enough and a big enough cut for her not to stretch out as we would have had expected her to over the final two furlongs.

"Luckily I don't know think it's going to be a long-term thing. Hopefully after a couple of weeks to heal up, the bruising will go away she will be OK.

"She's still in Newmarket at the moment, but she will probably go into quarantine this week and get home.

"It was just disappointing we couldn't put the icing on the cake on Saturday, but unfortunately that's racing.

"She certainly had a fair excuse after she pulled up and we got a chance to see what the full story was."