Trainer Chris Waller has given a strong indication that Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Reliable Man may have run his last race.
In a sombre aftermath to Saturday's Group One feature, Reliable Man was taken away in a horse ambulance shortly after pulling up from his victory.
Waller later confirmed the high-class French import appeared to have suffered an injury to his off-fore tendon.
Already a dual Group One winner of the 2011 French Derby and Saturday's Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, Waller said Reliable Man could head straight to stud.
"He's a very valuable stallion proposition and if there is any risk at all he will probably be retired," Waller said.
"He'd shown me he was a serious horse. I didn't want to get ahead of myself and I wanted him to have these two runs and concentrate on having a serious spring.
"But I don't care about that. I care about the horse's welfare.
"Does he need to race again? What does he need to prove?"
Reliable Man was having his second Australian start in the Queen Elizabeth and comfortably accounted for three-year-old triple crown winner It's A Dundeel, which had been hailed as racing's next big star prior to Saturday's defeat.