Healing rest for Shamrocker

Dual Group 1 winner Shamrocker will miss the Melbourne and Sydney autumn carnivals.

Trainer Danny O'Brien said a post-spring carnival examination revealed Shamrocker, who raced well below her AJC Derby winning form, had "degenerative changes in her hocks".

O'Brien said the only option was to give the four-year-old a lengthy break.

"There is a possibility she will kick off in Adelaide or Brisbane, but basically she is having three months in the paddock," O'Brien said.

"Obviously, her form over the spring was nowhere near her best.

"We could not pick anything wrong with her so we sent her to the Werribee (Victoria) university after the spring and they went right over her.

"When they did the scintigraphy both hocks lit up. There are no fractures ... we've just got to stop her and build her up from scratch."

Shamrocker, a one-time favourite for the Melbourne Cup, was unplaced in her five spring runs, culminating with a 21st placing in the Cup behind Dunaden.

O'Brien's impressive juvenile Cambiaso, winner of the Listed Superracing Stakes at Flemington on debut in October, is set to resume in the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on Australia Day.

"He's in good order. There hasn't been a standout two-year-old yet, our bloke won that race just on ability and spent most of the spring in the paddock," O'Brien said.

Story by Adrian Dunn, to view full Herald Sun story click here

Photo by Slickpix, to view Slickpix website click here