GUTTED Roger Teal has more or less ruled Oxted out of defending his Royal Ascot crown.
His crack sprinter had been in line to return at York’s Dante meeting but suffered an injury on the Lambourn gallops earlier this week.
He streaked away with the King’s Stand at last year’s Royal meeting and Teal reckoned he had his speedster in the shape of his life.
He said: “I’m absolutely gutted. It’s just a bummer, there’s no other way of putting it.
“He was just on the gallops and felt something, we could tell. He’ll have another couple of scans in a couple of weeks but I’d say it’s unlikely we’ll make Ascot.
“And if we have to miss the whole season, then so be it, he’s still not old for a sprinter.
“For a team like us, it hurts more, he was a real flag bearer and I think the best of the sprinting bunch domestically.”
Teal was keen to let punters know his star was on the sidelines so they wouldn’t lose out on any antepost bets for Ascot.
He added: “I don’t want to say he’s definitely out as we’ll know more in a couple of weeks, but it’s best to say for punters and what not.
“I think we know he won’t make it but I don’t want to make myself look stupid either way!
“These animals drive you mad! You look after them day in, day out and one injury can put paid to it all.
“We had him firing too, he was going better than ever at home and we were all really excited. It’s put a bit of a dampener on what is normally a really exciting part of the season.”
