Spumante Dolce’s disappointing run in Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Classic can possibly be put down to mucus found in her trachea. This was discovered in a veterinary examination ordered by the Stipendiary Stewards after she’d finished downfield in the race.
“Her run was too bad to be true and she was found with Grade 3 mucus,” said trainer Mike de Kock on Monday.
Spumante Dolce – a below par performance on Saturday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Grade 3 mucus means a significant amount of mucus present in the windpipe, visible during an endoscopic examination and indicating a higher level of mucus buildup compared to lower grades which might only show small droplets or minimal accumulation.
“She was scoped clear, several times before the race. This happens sometimes with the stress of racing on the day,” commented Mike de Kock on his website.
It is also possible that the soft underfoot conditions may not have suited Spumante Dolce.
De Kock said: “That may have happened, but one never really knows.”
Spumante Dolce has been treated and she will resume work in due course.
She was quoted at 33-1 when the big race sponsors opened the Hollywoodbets Durban July pre-noms ante-post betting on Monday.
