Connections of Magic Wand have confirmed Aidan O’Brien‘s charge has been forced to retire due to a foot abscess.
The five-year-old was being trained for a campaign in Australia, but she was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s Cox Plate.
O’Brien’s team were unable to drain the abscess over the last few days, meaning Magic Wand can now not defend her Mackinnon Stakes in November.
All plans were shelved for the remainder of the year and O’Brien’s travelling foreman, TJ Comerford, confirmed she will now retire to the paddocks in Ireland.
He told www.racing.com: “She got a foot abscess and it’s one of those we can’t get at. We’re can’t do anything about it, we’re trying to draw it out, but it doesn’t seem to want to release, and we’re thinking it will burst out of the coronary band. It’s just bad luck as she was going to run a good race.
“We thought she was back to her best, but that’s the end of her now. She’s going to be retired and go to stud.
“It’s unlucky for her that it’s finished like this, but we’ll take her home and have a very good broodmare.”
