Whisky Baron is making a good recovery from the hind leg setback that ruled him out of last Friday’s Challenge Stakes at Newmarket but plans to send him to Hong Kong for December’s International meeting have been abandoned.

Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

Ridgemont manager Craig Carey said yesterday: “He got a bit of swelling above the joint but the good news is that it is nothing serious. There are no fractures, tears or anything like that, and the swelling has subsided after a lot of ice and care over the last few days.  We think he must have twisted his ankle.

“He is fine in himself and he can start working again in the next few weeks but we are going to call it a day for this year and wait until next year with him.”

Brett Crawford added: “We are not now going to look at Hong Kong but we will try again next year.”

The five-year-old Australian-bred, owned by Craig and Ross Kieswetter and named after their father Wayne, won all five starts last season including the Peninsula Handicap and Sun Met. He is now based at Mary Slack’s Abington Place stables in Newmarket.

Justin Snaith will be three-handed in his bid to win the Woolavington Handicap for the third successive year at Durbanville on Saturday. Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides last season’s runner-up Francia, Richard Fourie will be on Strathdon and Grant van Niekerk has been booked for Northern Ballet.

The five-strong opposition is head by Red Peril (Wes Marwing) who romped to a five-length win in the Settlers Trophy over the same course and distance last month.

By Michael Clower