A spanner has been thrown in the works for Legarto’s spring preparation, with the multiple Group One winner having strained a muscle following her trial at Te Rapa last week.

Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso were pleased with her 900m heat victory last Tuesday on the Heavy10 footing but said it has also been the undoing of their initial spring plans with the mare.

“She is on the quiet list. She has been pulled out of Hastings,” Ken Kelso said.

“It is nothing major, she has strained a muscle which she probably did it at the trials. It is just a setback.

“She has gone to the water walker and will have two to three weeks off.”

After a stellar three-year-old season, which resulted in victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m), Legarto returned in a similar vein of form last season, adding the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) to her haul.

The five-year-old daughter of Proisir was set to have another trial before likely heading towards the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings next month, but with that path now ruled out, Kelso said they will reassess their options in due course.