He may be six months without a run but trainer Kelly Schweida is looking forward to the race return of Cape Kidnappers in the George Moore Stakes 2014 at Doomben Racecourse this weekend.
Cape Kidnappers returns to racing in the 2014 George Moore Stakes on Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The highlight of Saturday’s Brisbane race card, this year’s $200,000 Group 3 Channel Seven George Moore Stakes (1200m) will be Commands gelding Cape Kidnapper’s first run since the Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 21.
That day the now seven-year-old ran a close second when just a long neck off Big Money after back-to-back Listed wins earlier in the winter.
Jockey Damien Browne jumped off after the WJ HEaly and had some serious concerns about the horse, Schweida relieved that it turned out to be just a minor problem that time has corrected.
“We originally thought he had cracked his sesamoid again, but X-rays showed it was fine,” Schweida told the Courier Mail.
“We gave him two months off before he came back and did four or five weeks on the treill.”
Browne has also been part of Cape Kidnapper’s recovery and is likely to be aboard for his return on Saturday.
“Damian Browne has come down to ride him in two jumpouts and everything seems fine,” Schweida added.
The horse boasts an excellent first-up record of three wins and two seconds from five attempts, and is also a four-time winner from six Doomben runs, but Schweida is keeping his confidence in check after so long off the scene.
He is thrilled to have Cape Kidnappers back to race condition though, and hopes to get a competitive weight for the quality handicap clash on the weekend.
“It’s always hard to win first up at 1200m and then we have to see what weight he gets, but I’m looking forward to getting him back,” he said.
It’s shaping up as an exciting edition of the George Moore Stakes, nominations for which have been extended until 9am on Tuesday morning.
Other notable nominees at this stage include the Desleigh Forster-trained Adebisi, defending champ Big Money, Rob Heathcote’s stakes winner Excellantes and last start Keith Noud Handicap winner Time To Plunder.
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