Two years ago, on the day of the Caulfield Cup, I was on edge.

Our horse, Without A Fight, had been struggling with a virus for two weeks, and we were uncertain if he would even make it to the starting line. While post-race celebrations often paint a picture of smooth sailing, our reality was quite the opposite.

Trainer Sam Freedman (right), jockey Mark Zahra and Without A Fight after winning the 2023 Caulfield Cup.Credit: Racing Photos

For 10 long and stressful days, the prospect of him making it to the Caulfield Cup barriers had hung precariously in the balance. I still remember anxiously waiting for his blood results each afternoon. It was a daily dose of agony.

If just one of those emails from the laboratory revealed a spike in his virus, we were going to be in strife.

Such challenges are not rare in racing stables, yet they always seem to catch you off guard. We didn’t see this one coming.

Two weeks before the Caulfield Cup, on a Sunday morning, Without A Fight – affectionately known in the stable as “Connor” – left a half-dipper of food (about two handfuls) untouched, a rarity for a horse with a hearty appetite.

Alarm bells rang, prompting us to send blood samples to the lab. The results were disheartening; Connor’s white blood cell count was high, and his inflammatory markers were elevated, telltale signs........

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