Mizzna out for rest of season

Mizzna, the champion Purebred Arabian mare, has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a chipped bone on her left front leg. The trainer Eric Lemartinel said: "We suspected something was wrong but couldn't detect the actual problem. We did a thorough scan this week and found out a chip bone in her left fore leg. "The injury is not serious. It takes only a keyhole surgery but she will have to miss the rest of the season. She is in good order though, and we are hopeful for her return next season."

The seven-year-old daughter of the legendary mare Alanudd (Unchained Melody) was to return for her title defence of the Group 1 Liwa Oasis on Sunday in Abu Dhabi and the Kahayla Classic on the Dubai World Cup night. Lemartinel added: "We had to reschedule her plan after she ran a temperature before the National Day Cup. The Kahayla Classic was her main goal and Sunday's race would have been a prep run.

"Now we have to get the surgery done and keep her in training. We will not risk her. Mizzna has nothing to prove. She is a top class race mare and can still be a champion." The chestnut, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, won the Liwa Oasis on her first start after arriving from France in the 2006-2007 season and ran third in the Kahayla Classic three weeks later. She was unbeaten in five starts last season and won the National Day Cup on reappearance in November, taking her career record to nine wins from 12 starts.

Lemartinel has his 2007 UAE Arabian Derby winner Shadiyda to take Mizzna's place in the Arabian showpiece on the Dubai World Cup night. [e-mail]