John O’Shea will redirect Lost And Running towards the $3 million Nature Strip Stakes on Golden Eagle day after his race morning scratching from The Everest.

The gelding had been second favourite for the $15 million sprint but developed a skin irritation and was ruled out by vets on Saturday morning.

O’Shea said he had been optimistic Lost And Running would recover in time and rated the horse an “80-20 chance to run” on Friday, but while he trotted up nicely under saddle on Everest day morning, it was a different story when he cooled down.

“You can’t go into a race of that nature and not be 100 per cent,” O’Shea said.

“He owes us nothing, we owe him a lot and its incumbent on us to look after him.”

While devastated by the timing, O’Shea was keeping his chin up.

Lost And Running has been treated for his issue and O’Shea plans to trial him this week ahead of the Nature Strip (Winner’s) Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on October 29.

“I will give him a trial on Friday and he can run in the Winner’s Stakes on Saturday week,” he said.

Lost And Running’s stablemate Maximal was scratched from the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday due to the wet track and will instead take his place in next weekend’s Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.

While he will have to lift against the likes of Anamoe, Zaaki and I’m Thunderstruck, O’Shea has no doubt Maximal can make his presence felt if he gets the right conditions.

“Obviously it’s a hard year but we timed his run to be effective in Melbourne,” O’Shea said.

“Second-up in the Turnbull he ran well, he’s jumped out of the ground and I’m sure in a fast-run Cox Plate he will run very well.”

Ben Melham, who was to have ridden him at Caulfield, has been booked for the Cox Plate mount.