Sir Delius will not take his place in this Saturday’s Craven Plate at Randwick, with co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott opting to spell the talented import following his controversial withdrawal from the Victorian Spring Carnival.

The five-year-old son of Frankel had been among the leading fancies for both the Cox Plate (2040m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) before Racing Victoria stewards ruled him ineligible last week after irregularities were detected in the mandatory Cup scanning process.

Despite initially nominating Sir Delius for the $750,000 Group 3 Craven Plate (1800m), the Tulloch Lodge team confirmed via social media on Wednesday morning that the decision had been made to end his campaign early.

“After discussing Sir Delius with the ownership group, Adrian and I have made the decision to spell him and set our sights on the autumn carnival,” Waterhouse said on X. “He’s an extremely valuable horse and one we firmly believe will continue to prove he’s the best weight-for-age performer in Australia. Bring on the $5 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.”

Sir Delius’ spring campaign had included consecutive Group 1 wins in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m), establishing him as one of Australia’s most exciting middle-distance horses before veterinary concerns halted his progress.

As part of the Melbourne Cup acceptance process, Sir Delius underwent CT scans of his distal limbs, which were reviewed by a panel of imaging specialists from Australia, the UK, and the USA. The experts deemed him to be at a heightened risk of injury, prompting Racing Victoria to enforce his withdrawal. A subsequent PET scan confirmed their initial findings.

With Sir Delius ruled out, Lindermann has firmed into favouritism for the Craven Plate, which has drawn a competitive field of eight. Betting markets for the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup are also expected to undergo significant reshaping following his absence.