Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are seeking further clarity on the condition of Sir Delius before making any firm decisions on his immediate racing future.

The star entire was ruled out of the remainder of the Melbourne Spring Carnival by Racing Victoria stewards after undergoing precautionary scans last week ahead of the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.

Under current safety protocols, all Melbourne Cup contenders must undergo detailed limb scans, which are reviewed by an international panel of diagnostic imaging experts from Australia, the UK, and the USA. That panel determined that Sir Delius was at a heightened risk of injury, prompting Racing Victoria to stand him down from competition.

Sir Delius had been prominent in betting for both the Cox Plate (2040m) and the Melbourne Cup, and co-trainer Adrian Bott said the decision was difficult to take.

“We’re still in that stage of assessing that information and what it means to his campaign this preparation and future ones, and what the options are surrounding that,” Bott said. “We will gather a bit more information as it comes to hand before making any firm calls.”

Bott indicated that if Sir Delius is cleared to resume racing, the Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill on November 8 could be considered as a potential target. “It’s not a given, but if he were to continue racing, then that would be a logical option,” he said. “No decisions have been made yet — the report was a shock, and we’re still digesting it.”

A racing embargo has now been placed on Sir Delius in Victoria, with other jurisdictions, including New South Wales, yet to determine their stance. Racing NSW chief steward Tom Moxon confirmed that discussions with Racing Victoria were ongoing.

“They haven’t yet put full consideration into what embargoes will be placed on the horse,” Moxon said. “We’ll obviously take their findings into account before deciding whether he can compete in Sydney.”

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