Hors La Loi suffers injury blow

Former Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi III is likely to be sidelined for most of the season after suffering an injury on the gallops.

However, no decision on whether he will be retired for a second and final time has been taken.

The nine-year-old, who gave jockey Dean Gallagher his greatest success when winning the 2002 championship race, has been on the sidelines with a back injury since finishing down the field in the Martell Aintree Hurdle in April 2003.

He was initially retired on veterinary advice in June last year, but recovered well and trainer James Fanshawe had hoped the Cyborg gelding would resume his career over fences this season.

Fanshawe said of the latest injury, which happened on Friday morning: “He has had a scan and the injury is not related to his previous one. He has a hairline crack in his pelvis.

“We hope he just needs a bit of time off. We will play things by ear, but it is a pity because he had been going well and schooling well up until he got hurt. I should think he will miss most of the season, but we shall see how he goes.”

Fanshawe was the last trainer to take charge of Hors La Loi III, the gelding having been trained by Martin Pipe when a 17-length winner of the 1999 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as a four-year-old.

The Paul Green-owned horse was then returned to original trainer Francois Doumen, for whom he finished four-lengths second to Istabraq in the following year’s Champion Hurdle, before the final move of his career to Newmarket-based Fanshawe at the start of the 2000/01 season.

After beating Marble Arch by three lengths to win the 2002 Champion Hurdle, Hors La Loi III refused to race when asked to defend his crown the following year.