Lake Forest is set for a stalls test after his late withdrawal from Saturday’s City of York Stakes, but he is otherwise fine following the incident. The three-year-old, who was 7-2 for the Group Two race, became unsettled in the stalls and had to be scratched, leaving the rest of the field to race without him.
Fortunately, the William Haggas-trained colt sustained only minor scratches and bruises. Connections are puzzled by what caused his upset, as he has shown no previous stall issues and the surrounding horses were calm.
He will undergo a stalls test at Chelmsford on Saturday. If successful, he will aim to complete his season, with potential entries in the Sprint Cup at Haydock or the Park Stakes at Doncaster, though he will need quick ground for these races.
Sean Graham, racing manager for co-owner Tony Bloom, said, “He’s fine with just a few scratches and bruises. It was a surprise to us all. We’re not sure what caused him to react; it might have been a sudden noise or movement. He has a stall test at Chelmsford, and if that goes well, we have a couple of options for him. There are races at Haydock and Doncaster, but we need quick ground. If the ground is heavy at Haydock, we may have to reconsider. There’s also a potential race in America, but we would only consider that if we don’t have suitable ground here before the season ends.”