Louis The King Retired After Injury

South African Triple Crown winner Louis The King has been retired following an injury sustained during training.

Woodruff Racing has confirmed that th2014 classic champion had fractured a sesamoid.

“We are gutted, but he has done more than enough,” Woodruff said.

Louis The King had earlier had one testicle removed as a compromise on whether to geld him or send him to stud.

“It was a compromise,” explained Woodruff. “He is still technically an entire and is still holding a good blood count.

“We could see the one testicle was up high and causing him discomfort so we just removed the one. It’s a procedure which seems to have gone very well.”

“The same thing happened with Royal Air Force and he’s at stud right now.”

Meanwhile Justin Snaith has his stable stars Futura and Legislate set to meet for the first time since the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on June 6.

Snaith, who won the 2008 Gold Challenge with Dancer’s Daughter, confirmed that his two stars will clash in the mile G1 feature.

“If there was ever a time for it I think this is it. It is going to be one of the biggest races we have seen in a long time,” he said.

“Let’s see who is the best.”

Futura made a winning return last week but things haven’t been plain sailing with Legislate after a planned return in the Drill Hal Stakes had to be aborted when he kicked out in the gates at the start.

“It took a lot out of him and that is why we haven’t been able to run him since,” Snaith said.

However the champion trainer has been impressed by the reigning Vodacom Durban July winner’s recent work.

Snaith’s promising three-year-old colt Heartland will not take part in the remaining Champions Season features after his unplaced effort in the KRA Guineas and will be saved for a feature campaign next season.