Gingernuts' Update

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love and support for Gingernuts.

"Jerry" as we know him has such a huge fan Club - and a team of enthusiastic (many new to racing) owners who support him with great gusto and passion.

As you will now know, Gingernuts suffered an injury around at the start just prior to the $2 million Group 1 Emirates Stakes' in Melbourne on Saturday.

We would like to put on record our huge gratitude, on behalf of Te Akau Racing and Jerry's owners, to many people - to Michael Dee in the first instance.  The moment Michael identified an issue he jumped off Jerry's back and kept him quiet - superb horsemanship.

To all of the Flemington team around at the barriers - including the veterinary and starting teams, gate attendants and clerks of the course - your immediate and skilled reaction and care was world class and we will always remain indebted to you all for your expertise and great care.  Thank you for stabilising Jerry so that he could be transported as safely as possible to the veterinary hospital.

To the team at the Victorian Racing Club - such total professionals who assisted and guided us, who gave the connections a private area to wait, discuss, re-group and shed plenty of tears of worry for our boy - thank you, thank you, thank you - especially to Meagan and Sam of the VRC.

To the course doctor and paramedics who so rapidly also attended to one of our Gingernuts' owners who had a medical situation - your expertise knows no bounds.  Our owner is fully recovered and travels home today.

To our c0-trainer Stephen - thank you for being so calm under pressure and to Kerry Jones - we also know how devastated you are - Kerry you have done a wonderful job with Jerry in Melbourne and the love he has for you is so obvious to everyone!

Finally to Jerry - Saturday was, as you will understand, deeply distressing for everyone.  As the sitation unfolded, the team on course could not hear any audio and had to watch on the big screen with really fearful hearts.  Jerry was transported to the world-class equine medical facility at Werribee where he remains.  Despite some reports stating that Jerry is scheduled to have surgery today - that is not yet committed to today.  The priority today is a full CT scan to identify the seriousness of the issue and work through the medical treatment path that will be in his very best interests.

Once we have this diagnosis and we have discussed the findings with Jerry's owners in the first instance, we will be able to update you - we understand and are truly appreciative that there is so much interest in Jerry's well-being and again - thank you so much to everyone for your texts, your calls, your emails and your cards - to Sarah and Aleisha who sent the most beautiful get-well Jerry card - thank you girls, it surely brightened everyone's day!

We will stay in touch.

Photo credits - Geo Hills, taken prior to the race - thank you.