Mick Price’s former star juvenile Samaready may have been struck down by injury at the start of the year ruling her out of the autumn but it is all system’s go for a spring campaign that could kick off as early as August.
Samaready will return to racing this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Photo: Steve Hart.
The emphatic three length winner of last year’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in Melbourne the talented daughter of More Than Ready, a $150,000 buy from the 2011 William Inglis and Son Australian Easter Yearling Sales, hasn’t raced since that August.
The Blue Diamond Stakes was her third straight turf triumph and Samaready went on to also win the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at her next start that March before her brave third beaten under two lengths by Gai Waterhouse’s champion colt Pierro in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
Sent for a well-earned spell after the Slipper Samaready returned four months later and was hot favourite for her resuming run in the Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m).
She encountered a Heavy (10) track at Caulfield for that August start however and failed to let down in the wet only managing to finish eight and a half lengths away fourth behind Elite Elle.
Things went from bad to worse for the $1.23 million earner too with Samaready tearing a muscle on her near-side hind during a gallop in early February.
With the autumn out of the equation focus went on getting the filly ready for the spring which is now fast approaching.
And Samaready is fast improving in fitness too as she spends time in pre-training at Limitless Lodge in New South Wales before her return to work at Price’s Caulfield stables next month.
From there Price will begin to look seriously at first-up options with the horseman indicating she could be ready to get back to race conditions as soon as August.
“She’s been in work all of June so all things going well she’ll probably head to the races sometime towards the end of August,” Price said.
“She isn’t going to be the easiest horse to place; I think we might look to keep her to the right kind of set weights and penalties races.”
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