Joe Pride was left shattered when he saw blood in the nose of Ceolwulf after his Apollo Stakes return on Saturday.
The five-year-old had run sixth behind the brilliant Autumn Glow, which was exactly what Pride had expected.
“It was the right first-up run and then I saw the blood,” Pride said. “I walked around for 20 minutes after it, wanting to cry.”
“[Jockey] Chad [Schofield] was completely surprised by it as well. He didn’t think he had bled.”
“I walked back and saw [Ceolwulf] in the tie-ups and I felt a lot better.”
“He wasn’t coughing or distressed like a horse that bled.”
Instead of enforcing the mandatory three-month ban, Racing NSW asked questions if the bleed was internal or not.
The process is continuing with a final ruling to be made by stewards on Monday or Tuesday, whether Ceolwulf can continue his campaign.
Racing NSW and an independent vet examined Ceolwulf and concluded it wasn’t exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage.
“There wasn’t a sign of any blood there at all, and also no sign of blood in his larynx,” independent veterinarian Dr Michael Robinson told stewards.
“One hundred per cent, if a horse bled from the lungs, an hour after the race you would see blood in the trachea and there was no sign of blood in the trachea.”
Pride will let the stewards complete the process and is now focused on the return of Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica in the Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
“He has had three trials and is ready to go. He hasn’t had the blinkers on in any of the trials,” Pride said.
“He will have the blinkers on Saturday, because he is such a casual horse without them. Remember, he got beaten in a Kembla Class 1 without them before winning the Spring Champion.”
“I’m excited to see him back at the races against a really good field, and we’ll see how much he has improved.”
