Think About It potentially ruled out of George Ryder Stakes

George Ryder Stakes favourite Think About It could be a late scratch for the race, according to his trainer Joe Pride.  
 
Pride says a routine pre-race medical screening revealed that Think About It had an elevated white blood cell count, indicating a potential illness. Think About It was tested again. The results came back clear and the five-year-old had shown no signs of illness, so Pride is bullish about his chances of racing on Saturday.  

Everest winner a doubt

Think About It is one of the biggest George Ryder Stakes favourites in recent years. The five-year-old comes into this race after winning The Everest last year and battled back to finish second in the Canterbury Stakes last March.  
 
Pride talked up his horse ahead of the George Ryder Stakes this week. “If he had one of those graphs on a video game with the little carrots, he had five carrots and he’d spent four of them before the furlong,” he said, referencing Think About It’s comeback at the Canterbury Stakes. 
 
“He was on empty for that last bit but he’s very brave and very tough and he kept going as best he could.” 

Trainer confident of win, if he can race

Think About It is a doubt for Saturday’s race, but his trainer is confident that he can win if he is able to race. 
 
Pride said “He led and won a Liverpool City Cup, so we’ll be very positive on him on Saturday.”  
 
As to whether he will race, Pride stressed, “It’s an extremely important run again for him this weekend in a race where we’re trying to get a guide as to how strong he’s going to be at a mile.” 
 
The George Ryder Stakes is the last major race before the Doncaster Mile next month.  

Horse race betting market responds 

Despite the pre-race medical test results, Think About It is still the biggest George Ryder Stakes favourite. 
 
The horse race betting sites have him listed at $3.80 odds to win and at $1.75 to place. Militarize and Encap come in next at $5.00 and $8.50, respectively.  
 
Think About It is also one of the Doncaster Mile favourites at $5.00, along with Randwick Guineas winner Celestial Legend. 
 
If Think About It is ruled out of the George Ryder Stakes with illness, we could see the odds for both these major horse races shake up massively.