Horse racing: Injury cloud sidelines Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise

Trainer Peter Moody with Incentivise. Photo / Getty

The Caulfield and Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise is out for the spring.

Managing part-owner Ozzie Kheir confirmed the news on Monday morning, claiming the long months of rehabilitation this year have taken a toll on the horse with trainer Peter Moody ruling the horse "mentally tired".

"We are disappointed but not devastated," Kheir said.

"Peter just said he thinks the horse is mentally tired despite it being the best the horse has ever looked.

"He looks stronger and bigger and his feet are 100 per cent but he (Moody) said he's just been through the ringer so for long that mentally, he won't get through a prep."

Last year's Caulfield Cup winner and Melbourne Cup runner-up has been in and out of rehabilitation programs since February after pulling up with a few injury issues after his amazing spring, when he won three group 1 races in Melbourne.

"The horse has been thoroughly scanned and all is good but we've made the decision to give him a let-up," Kheir said.

"He was doing a fair bit of work in his rehab and we would have liked to have given him four to six weeks after rehab but he only got two to three weeks.

"Peter is recommending we give him four to six weeks out and bring him back slowly with the autumn his target.

"It's a hard decision because he's favourite for all the big majors but he'll come back ready to go in the autumn."

Incentivise had been the ruling $9 favourite for the $5 million Caulfield Cup and the $11 favourite for the Melbourne Cup.

- Racing.com