One of Kim Bailey's leading chasers Imperial Aura will be put away for the rest of the season after a string of bad runs have left the team with no other option.
A Cheltenham festival winner in his first season chasing, the eight year old moved into open company last year and amassed a Listed win and a Grade Two win in his early outings.
He was then a strong favourite to take the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Ascot when falling early on and he was last seen that term being pulled up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival.
This season, things have gone from bad to worse, running three times in the Betfair Chase, Many Clouds Chase and Denman Chase at the weekend and either unseating his rider or being pulled up in all of them.
His last five races have left him with nothing but letters on his form line and having broken a blood vessel on Saturday at Newbury Kim Bailey will now put him away for the season.
Just how impressive was IMPERIAL AURA at Ascot yesterday! 👏🏼
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) November 22, 2020
📈 The Kim Bailey trained gelding is in to 5/1 favourite from 16/1 for next years Ryanair Chase Cheltenham!
📹 @AtTheRaces pic.twitter.com/JofvuVSQat
(Credit ATR) He said: “He broke a blood vessel at Newbury and that is him done for the season now.
“He was running a much better race but David said it happened going into the fence, that is why he jumped the fence then pulled him straight up.
"This season has just been a nightmare with him. He burst a blood vessel (at Cheltenham last March) and he hadn’t done it since until Saturday.
“He is still a good horse and you could see that on Saturday. He hit the front and he was going very nicely then bang – it happened. We’ve got to get it right.
“I think we will give him a good summer out and give him a good MOT before we decide what to do next. The good thing is he is still on one piece.”
