Dual Group One winner Epaulette has been retired while Queensland star Solzhenitsyn will undergo a throat operation in the wake of their failures at Flemington on Saturda
Trainer Peter Snowden was quick to lower the curtain on the racing career of Epaulette after he finished a poor last, beaten 17 lengths, in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic won by Buffering.
A stud career awaits the four-year-old entire by Commands who returned over $1.7 million in prizemoney for owner Sheikh Mohammed from five wins and four placings in only 14 starts.
He won the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill and G1 Doomben Ten Thousand as a three-year-old, while his two year-old season featured wins in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield and G3 Black Opal Stakes in Canberra.
He was also G1 placed in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick when second to champion mare Black Caviar and finished third in the G1 Caulfield Guineas last spring behind All Too Hard and Pierro.
Snowden also confirmed that another of Sheikh Mohammned's classy winners Launay would also be retired after he failed in the Emirates Airline Handicap.
Launay, a 7YO gelding by Lonhro, won eight of his 32 starts including two Listed events and was G2 placed.
Meanwhile dual Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn will undergo a wind operation after a throat abnormality was detected following his failure in the Emirates Stakes.
His rider Nash Rawiller believed the 7YO had choked down, as he had done at his previous start a week ago in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington.
However a post race veterinary examination revealed a throat abnormality with his trainer Rob Heathcote ordered to provide a veterinary clearance before the horse is accepted to race again.
Heathcote, who earlier celebrated a G1 success with his crack sprinter Buffering in the Sprint Classic, advised that Solzhenitsyn will be sent for a spell after undergoing a wind operation.
There were a number of post race reports that explained the poor showings of other fancied runners at Flemington on Saturday.
A post race veterinary examination of the heavily supported favourite Lake Sententia revealed the mare to have a degree of internal exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage that may have affected the her performance.
A post race sample was taken for analysis.
An endoscopy of Karacatis after his disappointing effort in race nine also detected a degree of internal exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage.
After race three jockey Michael Rodd reported the favourite Sharalam felt lame but a post race veterinary examination did not reveal any abnormality.
There was only on suspension at Flemington on Satuirday with Jake Noonan outed for 10 meetings for causing interference board Supremacy in the third race.
At Randwick Christian Reith was suspended for careless riding aboard Sail in race six.
Reith was suspended from November 17 until November 26.
