OWEN Burrows has revealed that former 2000 Guineas runner-up Massaat faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after meeting with a setback.

After having made a winning return last season in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, the five-year-old son of Teofilo finished third in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin at Chantilly before finding only Limato too strong in what was to be his final start of the campaign, in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket in October.

But the Lambourn handler said: "Unfortunately Massaat has met with a setback and he is back at Shadwell. We won't be seeing him on a track any time soon.

"He won a Group 2 last year, which was great, and I was looking forward to trying to grab a Group 1 with him this year having finished second in the 2016 2000 Guineas, and in the Dewhurst the year before, but unfortunately that is not likely to be. It is not easy finding horses like him."