The seven-year-old bay gelding, part-owned by Kempsey's Rhonda and Peter Bannon fractured his pelvis last week which has ruled him out of the $1.3 million race at Royal Randwick on October 16.

Graham said a "lack of bounce" in him was the first sign something was not quite right and they're still not sure how it happened.

"He's a horse that if something is wrong you do know about it because he's a very bouncy horse and he just wasn't bouncy," Graham said.

"We felt something was wrong so we called our local vet and he wasn't lame or anything and she suggested because he was going into a big race he should have a certigraphy done."

It meant a trip to Sydney where the scans confirmed the fracture.

"I was devastated. I was devastated for the horse too," Graham said.

"I just think that he deserved another crack (at the Kosciuszko) and leading into it everything was pretty perfect."

There are no doubts surrounding his immediate race career. The trainer is confident it won't be the end.

"He's lightly raced so I'm not one bit concerned that he wouldn't be able to come back. Not one bit at all," Graham said.

"I was so happy with him going into this; I was the happiest I'd been with him."

Graham was thankful they noticed the early warning signs which prevented a potentially serious outcome.

"These things happen and we were fortunate enough that the horse will still be okay and no-one got hurt," she said.

"It can sometimes be not a good ending in some cases, but we were onto it early and it showed up. Unfortunately we're now sitting on the sideline."

Victorem's third crack at one of the biggest races on the calendar will be pushed back at least 12 months, but first things' are first - an eight to 12 week recovery period.

"It's just time," the Port Macquarie trainer said.

"He's got to be kept in a box just nice and quiet and they progress on from there. Everything is done slowly until it all heals and strengthens and we go through the motions basically."

The news further emphasised the uncertainty that surrounds training a racehorse leading up to race day.

"Everything's got to add up and you're not there until the day you're there which I've learned. The old saying is 'fluff your feathers' and away you go," Graham said.

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