MARK Kavanagh makes a rare off-season raid on Sydney racing tomorrow, but while wins in the two feature races at Warwick Farm would round off another splendid year for the Flemington trainer, it is Kavanagh's 2012 fortunes that dominate his thoughts, reports The Age. It says: Just six months ago, Kavanagh unearthed a remarkable athlete in the shape of filly Atlantic Jewel, who breezed through the spring carnival unbeaten until finally felled by a back injury following her seven-length romp in th

MARK Kavanagh makes a rare off-season raid on Sydney racing tomorrow, but while wins in the two feature races at Warwick Farm would round off another splendid year for the Flemington trainer, it is Kavanagh's 2012 fortunes that dominate his thoughts, reports The Age.

It says: Just six months ago, Kavanagh unearthed a remarkable athlete in the shape of filly Atlantic Jewel, who breezed through the spring carnival unbeaten until finally felled by a back injury following her seven-length romp in the group 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington. Shaping as the next middle-distance star of Australian racing, Atlantic Jewel has been kept on ice as her connections await a further scan in the first week of January.

A scintigraphy on the filly last month showed ''hot spots'' in her pelvic region, although no bone damage could be detected. ''It could be a muscle thing that she's getting over, we just don't know for sure, so we'll have to see what comes up [in the scintigraphy] before we move on her,'' Kavanagh said yesterday

''I just can't tell you when and where she will race next but I'm really pleased with the way she looks and especially pleased with the way she is rolling in the sand. Horses with back problems don't usually roll so it tells you that she's feeling pretty good.''

Atlantic Jewel is not trotting or cantering as her connections await next month's scan, but is on a stringent walking routine that Kavanagh hopes will serve as a base for an autumn carnival preparation. Although the Melbourne autumn is likely to come too early no matter her results in a few weeks, Kavanagh has his sights set on any number of elite races in Sydney from the Doncaster Handicap to the AJC Derby and/or Oaks. (www.theage.com.au)