HE has made only four starts this season as a four-year-old following a highly productive three-year-old campaign which saw Further and Beyond being crowned as the 2021 Horse of the Year.

The absence from the track, both in competitive races and at morning exercise by Further and Beyond, has caught the interest of many racing enthusiasts, with word now coming for his conditioner, champion Anthony Nunes, that his charge will shortly be undergoing orthoscopic surgery to remove chip bones from his knees.

“Sadly, Further and Beyond will be doing surgery to deal with chip bones in his knees; I expect that surgery to be done later this month [October 2022] after which he has to rested,” Nunes told this publication.

Following the period of rest, which is approximately two months after surgery, the champion trainer indicated that it will take Further and Beyond another two to three months before he can race again.

“If everything goes well for Further and Beyond during his scheduled surgery, overall, it will take about…say four to five months before he will be able to enter a starting stall to race competitively again.

“The stables will be taking all the necessary precautious to ensure he is well cared for and will be able to resume his already illustrious career at five years. So, do not expect Further and Beyond to race before, say, April of 2023 again — if all goes as planned for him.

At four years the reigning Horse of the Year has raced four times, making his seasonal bow on April 2, 2022, at 6½ furlongs, an event in which he was successful in defeating I’ve Got Magic and Duke.

In his three other outings Further and Beyond took fourth and third places, and then on July 2, his last effort before being sidelined with his injury, he finished third in the Clovis Metcalfe Cup going 7½ furlongs (1,500 metres).

Thus far in his career Further and Beyond, bred by Blue Pepsi Lodge out of Rumble, has raced 19 times with nine first-place finishes and has accumulated stakes earnings just shy of $17 million.