Two-time The Everest placegetter Private Eye recovers from fungal infection in his eye

The Joseph Pride-trained sprinter spent time at Randwick Equine Centre but has returned to the paddock to continue his recovery.

Private Eye has suffered a serious eye infection. Pictures: Proven Thoroughbreds/Getty Images.

Two-time The Everest placegetter Private Eye is on the mend after requiring urgent treatment on a serious infection that threatened his eye.

Private Eye, trained by Joe Pride, needed to be taken to Randwick Equine Centre after an initially “innocuous” eye problem quickly turned “nasty”.

“He got a fungal infection behind his eye,” Proven Thoroughbred’s Jamie Walter said.

“It was difficult to treat and quite nasty.

“It started off with an innocuous eye problem treated in the normal fashion but presumably with the initial trauma of it, he got an infection behind his eye.

“He had to spend some time in hospital and is back in the paddock now.”

Walter was grateful of the work of Randwick Equine Centre for saving Private Eye’s eye with vets “confident” his vision will be fine long term.

Plans on Private Eye’s racing return won’t be made until the experienced campaigner spends some time in the paddock.

“We will see how he recovers and what sort of condition he is in,” Walter said.

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Private Eye (middle) is in the paddock. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images

Private Eye had a long spring campaign but returned to form late in the carnival with victory in the Group 3 Festival Stakes and a creditable fourth with 61kg on his back in the Group 2 The Ingham in December.

He was set to enjoy an extended break with the Brisbane Winter Carnival on the radar for the son of Al Maher.

Proven Thoroughbreds and Pride could be set for a more positive weekend with Accredited set to line up in the Group 3 $250,000 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.

It’s been labelled as ‘plan E’ by Pride after Accredited had be in line to run in last Saturday’s Listed Carrington Stakes both the race was abandoned due to a lack of entires.

Originally published as Two-time The Everest placegetter Private Eye recovers from fungal infection in his eye