Almost exactly a year after his biggest success, Compton Admiral was today ruled out for the whole of this season.
Gerard Butler has admitted defeat in his battle to get last year's Coral-Eclipse Stakes winner back on course this season.
But he stressed that the colt will return to action "for sure" at the age of five in 2001.
Compton Admiral has not raced since he beat Xaar by a neck in the Group One Eclipse at Sandown last July, after which he reportedly fractured a bone in his off-fore knee.
Though Butler's hopes of bringing him bring him back to the course this term have been dashed, he stressed that there are no plans to send the horse to stud.
"He won't run all year but he will be back for sure next season," the trainer said. "We are a racing operation not a breeding operation.
"Unfortunately we will both be watching the Eclipse on TV this year!"
Butler also revealed that Sagitta 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes runner-up Princess Ellen is set to step up to a mile and a quarter in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood next month.
