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Classy middle-distance performer Super Ninetyseven’s racing career has been seriously compromised by a most untimely tendon injury.

Trainer Michael Freedman is now only clinging to a grim hope he can make a racing comeback.

The Show A Heart four-year-old was one of the entries in last Sunday’s Group 1 Patron’s Bowl (1600m), but was a surprise non-acceptor in the end.

It turned out that Super Ninetyseven was lame on Monday afternoon and scans confirmed Freedman’s worst fears: Core lesion to the tendon fibres, otherwise known as bowed tendon.

Not only was he pulled out forthwith from the second Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, which Spalato eventually won, but he is also out of his main target, the third Leg which is the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) on July 13, but more tellingly to Freedman and connections, the Joy N Happiness Stable, he may not even see a racetrack again.

“It’s very disappointing. He’s trialled well two weeks ago and his trackwork has been good, and he was in the entries for the Patron’s Bowl, but late Monday afternoon, he went amiss,” said a crestfallen Freedman.

“He’s done his tendon. Scans confirmed a core lesion to the fibres, and in layman’s terms, we call it a bowed tendon.

“Not many horses come back from such an injury, but he’s going to Malaysia for four to six months. I’ll give him time in the paddocks and see whether he can recover.”

Last year’s Raffles Cup winner is not at his first setback this year as a knock to his off-front tendon back in April curtailed his Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) plans. Freedman was able to nurse the seven-time winner, whose last run was a second place to Cash Luck in the Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase (1800m) on April 6, back to fitness, but this latest injury – which Freedman said was not related to the first bruise - is career-threatening this time.

“He had got over that bruise very well and was coming along nicely for the Patron’s Bowl,” said Freedman.

“It’s a real shame as it was the perfect lead-up to his main objective, the Derby, but it’s all gone now. Like they say here, ‘what to do’.”