Samaready is back in work with the four-year-old mare to be set for a first-up tilt at the $500,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15. The 2012 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) winner added to her Group 1 haul over the Spring Racing Carnival with a dominant four-length win over subsequent triple-Group 1 winner Buffering in the Programmed Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley, reports Racing Victoria.
She was then found to have suffered an exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage when eighth behind Buffering in the Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at the same track.
Trainer Mick Price said the daughter of More Than Ready returned to work today to start her pre-training at Rockmount Stud.
“She’s very well in herself,” Price said. “She has had about a month off and is in lovely condition.
“We’re thinking we’ll go to the Lightning with her and then the Newmarket and then five weeks after the Newmarket into the T.J. Smith (1200m) in Sydney.
“She’s a proven weight-for-age mare so it (Black Caviar Lightning) looks a suitable first up race for her.”
As well as Samready in the $1 million Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m), Price will also be targeting the other $1 million Group 1 on Flemington’s Super Saturday program with Pakal to be aimed towards the Darley Australian Cup (2000m).
A dominant winner of the $200,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (2025m) carrying 60kg, Price said the five-year-old import “didn’t have a lot of luck” when a close-up fifth in the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
“Hugh Bowman got off him and said he was intimidated by the closeness of horses around him,” Price said.
“He has had a good Australian paddock spell which he wouldn’t have had for a while so he should be blooming.”
Price is yet to confirm which race Pakal will resume in but said the son of Lord Of England could run in the Australian Cup second-up.
Click to watch a full replay of Samaready’s win in the Moir Stakes or the Pakal’s run in theMackinnon Stakes