Ceolwulf spelled after second bleeding scare; stewards find external trauma, no embargo

Trainer Joe Pride has elected to spell four-time Group 1 winner Ceolwulf after the gelding bled from both nostrils following the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Royal Randwick, creating immediate questions about his autumn campaign and entries for the Australian Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Ceolwulf pulled up from a fourth placing in the Apollo with visible blood in both nostrils, prompting an on-course intervention.

A raceday scope, requested by Pride, found no evidence that the blood originated from the trachea, and a subsequent diagnostic investigation suggested the blood instead originated from the naval cavity. Acting on a Specialist Equine Veterinarian’s report and a recommendation from Dr Garling, Racing NSW stewards concluded the presence of blood in Ceolwulf’s nostrils was "as a result of external trauma," and advised: "Accordingly, Ceolwulf will not be subject to the embargoes imposed under AR79 which deals with horses that have suffered from EIPH."

The stewards’ finding removes the automatic regulatory consequences tied to a dual-nostril internal bleed under AR79. Under the usual interpretation of AR79 a dual-nostril EIPH event triggers a three-month ban, and industry practice treats a second bleeding attack as grounds for retirement. That regulatory pathway would have jeopardised Ceolwulf’s autumn program and access to further prize money; the gelding has already amassed more than A$10 million in prizemoney and carries four Group 1 victories on his record.

Despite Racing NSW’s clearance, reporting from stable sources says Joe Pride has sent Ceolwulf to the paddock following what is described as a second bleeding episode, with at least one account stating the spelling ends his autumn campaign prematurely. Other material available to racing authorities indicates Ceolwulf has been "given the all clear from vets and stewards" and "remains on track for the Australian Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes this autumn." Those two strands — a trainer decision to spell and a regulatory finding that AR79 does not apply — coexist in the available information without a single reconciled timeline from the stable.

Ceolwulf’s profile sharpens the stakes: at five years old the middle-distance star is a four-time Group 1 winner, including victories that have been captioned alongside Chad Schofield in images from previous campaigns, and his performances have made him one of the highest-earning gallopers in recent seasons. Trainer action, stewards’ medical interpretation and the diagnostic process that cleared Ceolwulf of an internal dual-nostril bleed will be closely watched across the industry because they affect not only purse access but also how quickly high-profile horses return to metropolitan programs.

What remains clear is that Racing NSW, Dr Garling and the Specialist Equine Veterinarian have removed the AR79 embargo pathway in this case by concluding external trauma caused the bleed. Connections must still clarify whether the spelling is precautionary only or represents a formal withdrawal from autumn targets; until the stable provides specific entry status and a spelling timeline, Ceolwulf’s participation in marquee autumn features will stay unsettled despite the stewards’ ruling.