The ever-popular but injury-prone champ Rangirangdoo will feature in a Rosehill trial on Friday as their Sydney premiership winning trainer Chris Waller tentatively prepares to bring the Group 1 hero back for the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival 2012.
Rangirangdoo is preparing for a 2012 Sydney Autumn Carnival assault starting with a Rosehill trial on Friday
Now seven-year-old Pentire gelding Rangirangdoo missed their second spring season on the trot last year after the gallant galloper continued to suffer ongoing injury issues, but Waller remains hopeful that the horse will appear during this year’s autumn carnival in Sydney.
A lightly-raced veteran of just 21 starts, Rangirangdoo was full of promise during their 2008 and 2009 seasons winning a string of feature races and recoding an elite level placing in the Epsom Handicap two years ago.
After two more Group 1 seconds in the Chipping Norton and Ranvet Stakes during the 2010 Sydney Autumn Carnival, Rangirangdoo finally broke their Group 1 duck taking out that year’s Doncaster Mile.
They were forced to spend a year on the sidelines afterwards, however, after breaking down with a serious suspensory ligament injury.
An emotional return followed when Waller was reduced to tears seeing his old mate post a devastating close win in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill’s Golden Slipper Day in April last year.
As luck would have it, however, Rangirangdoo pulled up lame after the victory and hasn’t been seen since.
Having always put the horse first, Waller has taken his time getting Rangirangdoo right for a return to the turf and just how well they are going will be more evident tomorrow when they run in an open 900 metre trial at 8:45am (NSW time).
Waller will also run his O’Reilly mare Baranski in the hit-out that is set to feature the David Payne-trained duo Smash Hit and Winter King.
This season is likely to be Rangirangdoo’s last and Waller said he wouldn’t hesitate to end it early should they show any signs of soreness.
“If he shows any signs of being sore this time in that will be it,” Waller said.
“It is not worth it, he doesn’t deserve to go out like that.”
The $200,000 Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 2, CF Orr Stakes Day, is penciled in for Rangirangdoo’s first-up run.
All going well they could then continue on for the $250,000 Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on February 25, the $350,000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 10 and then look at defending their title in the $400,000 Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) back at Rosehill on Easter Saturday, April 7.
Waller also expects to run new stable acquisition Shoot Out in the Express Way Stakes 2012, the 2010 AJC Australian Derby winner formerly prepared by John Wallace on the Gold Coast.
“Shoot Out will kick off in the Expressway Stakes with Rangirangdoo,” Waller said.
Former Doomben Cup winner Metal Bender is another strong autumn prospect for Waller, the Danasinga six-year-old a possible rival to Rangirangdoo in the 2012 George Ryder Stakes.
“Metal Bender is a little behind them (Rangirangdoo and Shoot Out) and he will probably follow the same path as Rangi last year and run in the Canterbury Stakes and then the George Ryder,” he said.
“These horses are by no means revved up but they just have the X-factor, you can just see in their action that they can seriously gallop.”
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