Big Orange is expected to participate in the Dubai Gold Cup this weekend after suffering from a fitness scare this week, according to a report on the Daily Mail.
The horse has suffered from ‘Set Fast’ this week, which is a painful condition that is caused by muscle fibres breaking and releasing into the bloodstream.
The $1m Dubai Gold Cup is not one that you can afford to miss and trainer Michael Bell is hopeful that a full recovery can be made in time for Saturday’s race.
Bell said:
He always gives me the odd hiccup and headache but he should be right by race day. He had a little Set Fast after exercise this morning but I hope it is a storm in a teacup.
It was his first canter since he got there and slightly out of character. Normally horses recover quite quickly.
The condition can cause the horse’s muscles to become very stiff, meaning that the range of movement is hindered massively.
Big Orange was victorious in the 2017 Ascot Gold Cup and has raced in the Dubai Gold Cup before, finishing in second place in 2016 and fourth last year as the rain hit race course caused severe problems.
Big Orange is again expected to be in the hunt for the win this Saturday but with this condition striking at the wrong time, it could affect the performance on the day.
