Rekindled Return Not Far Away

Jim Conlan has a two-run Festival of Racing campaign in mind for Rekindled Interest.

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Jim Conlan has a two-run Festival of Racing campaign in mind for Rekindled Interest.

A couple of Melbourne Festival of Racing appearances before a hit-and-run quest for Group 1 glory during Sydney's Autumn Carnival.

That's the likely next campaign for classy Victorian gelding Rekindled Interest, who is just a week away from returning to trainer Jim Conlan's Mornington Peninsula stable.

Conlan was thrilled with the way the four-year-old acquitted himself during the Melbourne spring, which included Group 2 victory in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 third placings in the Tatts Cox Plate (2040m).

It is Conlan's desire to atone for the Cox Plate defeat, when Rekindled Interest was involved in a bumping duel with Efficient on the home turn, that means all efforts are being directed towards next year's spring.

“He was great, he showed that he was up to that level,” Conlan said of the son of Redoute's Choice. “He was pretty unlucky not to win the Cox Plate and he came through the preparation really well.

“He went out to the paddock in good order and he's done well since he's been out, so it's all looking fairly promising for the long term.

“I would think we'll pretty much keep him to around about a mile for the autumn, just so he's not overtaxed through the autumn and then we can give him another crack at the spring next year.”

Conlan identified the $400,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m), at Caulfield on February 25, as the likely starting point, all but ruling out a crack at the $1 million Dubai Australian Cup (2000m) two weeks later.

Rekindled Interest's presence would add another dimension to the Futurity, which is shaping as the Festival of Racing's marquee event.

Peter Moody has it pencilled in for Black Caviar, who is set to embark on her first campaign at distances beyond 1200m, while over the weekend Pinker Pinker's trainer Greg Eurell flagged it as a first-up option for Rekindled Interest's Cox Plate conqueror, Pinker Pinker.

While not in the Australian Cup running, Rekindled Interest could be seen at Flemington on March 10, with the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) the other logical Festival of Racing option.

The $500,000 Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day (April 1) is the Sydney race Conlan has his eyes on for the winner of three of his 13 starts and $774,700 in stakes.


   



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