The career of Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort is in jeopardy after trainer Peter Moody revealed the three-year-old colt was struggling to recover from an injury to his near fore fetlock.

Moody said that Reward For Effort is currently in pre-training at Murchison (near Shepparton) on the water walker but has grave concerns whether he will be fully fit for upcoming races over the autumn carnival.

"I haven't totally ruled it out (the autumn) yet... but I'd say he's the one in doubt unfortunately," Moody told Sport 927.

"The injury is of a minor nature but we are talking about a big, strong powerful colt that gets heavier and stronger every day.

Moody recognises that if Reward For Effort fails to race during the autumn, his career on the racetrack may come to a premature holt.

"I would say that if he misses the autumn, there's nothing for him really in the winter which would rule him out till next spring and then the horse is a four-year-old," he said.

"I would think connections would have to weight up strongly whether to persevere with that preparation or alternatively look for a home for him at stud which the bulk of his career is going to lie obviously.

"Do you put the stud season off for a year and try and race on and then with that weakness there have the possibility of something going wrong and missing a season at stud?

"It's going to be a decision for connections but I certainly understand it if they err on the side of caution and send him to stud.

"It just comes down to being realistic," Moody added.

Connections of the galloper rejected a $5 million bid for Reward For Effort in late July only weeks before heat was detected in a near-side joint ensuring he would be sidelined for the entire duration of the spring.

Reward For Effort was purchased for $190,000 at the 2008 Premier Yearling Sale and is by first-season sire Exceed And Excel and out of Rory's Jester mare Miss Prospect.

He is a winner of two from four and was placed on another occasion. Both wins and a second were recorded at Caulfield as apart of the Blue Diamond series.

The only time Reward For Effort failed to figure in the placings was in the Golden Slipper when seventh on a heavy track.

Pictures - Quentin Lang

© Cyberhorse 2010 Carl Di Iorio Published 31/12/09