Colic rules out Cowboy

Rhinestone Cowboy was ruled out of the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle at Warwick this afternoon after contracting a bout of colic.

The dual Grade One winner had been due to carry top weight in the series qualifier, but trainer Jonjo O’Neill was forced to take out his gallant 11-year-old.

“He wasn’t eating up and was pawing his box so we had him checked out and he has been diagnosed with colic,” said the Jackdaws Castle handler.

“He is still at home and the vet is treating him so hopefully he will be OK, but you never know with colic.

“The vet had just given him some treatment and he seems brighter after it so will leave him alone until tonight now and see how he is.”

It had been widely accepted that Rhinestone Cowboy had been retired in the months following his defeat of Iris’s Gift at the Punchestown Festival in 2004, but he made a surprise reappearance at Haydock last month.

The outing did not go according to plan, however, with JP Magnier pulling his mount up after he got weary in the testing ground, and O’Neill warned last month that the veteran would not be “dragged through the gutter” if failing to fire.