High class galloper Gold Salute will follow a similar Group One spring program to last year with the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December as his ultimate goal.Trainer Mark Riley outlined the ambitious plan on the eve of the six-year-old returning to the track for a 900-metre jump out at Mornington on Wednesday.Gold Salute hasn't raced since he finished 14th in the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) Perth but was in career best form last spring.He was a close second to Allez Wonder in the Group On
High class galloper Gold Salute will follow a similar Group One spring program to last year with the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December as his ultimate goal.
Trainer Mark Riley outlined the ambitious plan on the eve of the six-year-old returning to the track for a 900-metre jump out at Mornington on Wednesday.
Gold Salute hasn't raced since he finished 14th in the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) Perth but was in career best form last spring.
He was a close second to Allez Wonder in the Group One Toorak Handicap (1600m) and third to All American and Cox Plate winner So You Think in the Group One Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Riley said the long break after Perth was essential for Gold Salute going in to this spring.
"We didn't want to make the mistake of bringing him back too early," Riley said.
"He had a very long campaign last year when he went right through the winter, then had two weeks break after winning the Winter Championship before going through the spring and then to Perth.
Riley said he blamed himself for Gold Salute's failure in the Railway.
"I made a mistake of working him too hard in a lead up gallop and it took the edge off him," Riley said.
He said Gold Salute, a winner of eight of 25 starts, had benefited from the extended spell and he was going along "beautifully".
"I am really happy with him," Riley said.
He said the Mornington jump out would bring him on and that he was unlikely to trial publicly before launching his spring campaign in a $100,000 sprint over 1000 metres at Moonee Valley on August 21.
The Group Three Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington, which he just failed to win last year when second to Swift Alliance, would be his second up run before the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on September 18.
Last year Gold Salute was declared a non-runner in the Caulfield feature when he dislodged his jockey Mark Pegus at the start.
Riley said Gold Salute's last two spring runs would be the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on October 9 and the Emirates Stakes on November 6 which he hopes will earn the horse an invitation to Hong Kong.