THE laws of probability said it had to happen - after a brilliant start to the season, former champion trainer Henry Cecil has hit his first hurdle. And it is a big one.
A concerned Cecil remained 'hopeful' last night that the unbeaten Bosra Sham can make it to post for the Pertemps 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5 despite a recent injury setback.
The filly sustained a bruised near-fore foot, which is expected to keep her on the easy list for a crucial period only days before the Classic.
She had been virtually unbackable at 2-5 following her recent Newbury win.
But rather than panic, bookmakers made few if any alterations to the ante-post market, with Mike Dillon, the Ladbrokes representative, reminding punters: 'A similar thing occurred to Nashwan before his Derby win in 1989.' It is ironic that Bosra Sham has suffered a setback so close to the big-race target that she has threatened to totally dominate.
After making a winning seasonal debut in the Fred Darling Stakes, Cecil made the point that everything had gone according to plan in preparation for the 1,000 Guineas.
'I have been able to do everything I wanted to do with her leading up to her first race,' the former champion trainer reported.