Leger hero Logician back in training after potentially life-threatening illness

Last year's St Leger winner Logician is back in training with John Gosden after spending mid-winter at Newmarket Equine Hospital where he was treated for the potentially life-threatening condition peritonitis.

The son of Frankel, who was unbeaten in five starts in 2019, is thought to have now fully recovered from the condition, which affects the intestines, but it could delay the start of his four-year-old campaign into mid or late summer as a result.

Logician gave Gosden his fifth and owner Khalid Abdullah a second St Leger when trouncing Sir Ron Priestley at Doncaster last September. He was then put away with the initial plan to possibly start him back in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown this May.

Watch Logician's decisive victory in the 2019 St Leger

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Abdullah, said: "Logician was successfully treated for peritonitis which can be a serious condition. I'm pleased to say he's been cleared by the vets and is now back with John Gosden. There's nothing to suggest that this is ongoing and basically you're either clear of it, or you're not."

He added: "There seemed to be no obvious reason for it and he seems fine now. Obviously he'll be a little behind schedule but he was unraced as a two-year-old and in normal circumstances I doubt John would've been in a great hurry with him anyway.

"We'll play it by ear but going forward I don't have anything but normal concerns about him. I suppose if he was ever going to get these things winter is the ideal time."

As for a possible return date, Grimthorpe added: "I hate putting dates on these things as it's early days but I doubt he'd be out until June or July."

As with humans, peritonitis in a horse is a life-threatening condition similar to colic that occurs when the protective membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers the intestines is punctured either by accident or because of a disease.

A sudden, acute episode of severe peritonitis following a rupture or injury to the stomach or the bowel releases toxic foreign material or bacteria into the peritoneal cavity and can be fatal if not treated quickly.

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