Montjeu could be retired without another race due to an injury which is thought to have contributed to recent defeats, John Hammond said today.
His trainer hinted that a swansong at the Breeders` Cup may be unlikely for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner.
The future of the four-year-old has been in doubt since he was beaten favourite for the Prix de l`Arc De Triomphe and the Dubai Champion Stakes on his last two starts.
Last season`s Arc winner had won each of his four preceding races and Hammond believes the minor setback which forced him to miss the Irish Champion Stakes contributed to his defeats.
'He hurt his ankle and since then he`s not been the same,' said the trainer, who is in Australia for Mont Rocher`s tilt at the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
'He hasn`t had the same brilliance .... so he may go straight to stud. That`s what we have to decide over the next few days.'
Hammond hopes to receive a boost when Mont Rocher tackles Saturday`s Group One Caulfield Cup.
'I`ve always wanted to have a go with a horse here and this one seemed to be the right choice,' he told the Australian Associated Press.
'He`s pretty consistent and he seems to be relatively tough. He looks well, he seems happy, he`s eating well - we`ll leave the rest to fate.'
Explaining his choice of local jockey John Marshall for the ride, Hammond said: 'I think local knowledge is very important whether it`s at Caulfield or Ascot or Longchamp.
'Any jockey, however good they are, is going to ride better after he`s been around a track 50 times than they do the first time.'
