crazyhorse
At the Start
sorry if discussed elsewhere, but this must be the comeback of the year:
JARDINES LOOKOUT, winner of the 2002 Goodwood Cup and third in the following year's Melbourne Cup, is poised to make his long-delayed return on Saturday.
The Alan Jarvis-trained 11-year-old will tackle either the 2m Carvill Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap at Ascot or the opening event over a similar distance at Newmarket.
Jardines Lookout has not run since finishing 15th of 17 in the Gold Cup staged at York in 2005, when Ascot was closed for redevelopment.
Having picked up an injury in that race, he required a lengthy period of recuperation, but Jarvis began training him seriously again at the start of this season and has earmarked October's Cesarewitch as his long-term aim.
Jarvis said on Tuesday: “He has never enjoyed being out of training, so it was always the plan to bring him back if we could.
“I madethe mistake of running him on that diabolical ground when Royal Ascot was at York and, unfortunately, he came back with an injury, a small broken bone in a leg which aggravated his suspensory tendon by rubbing against it.
“After surgery he's made a full recovery and been given a clean bill of health, so we're bringing him back and hoping to aim him eventually at the Cesarewitch.”
Jarvis added: “He might go to the Shergar Cup, but there's a doubt about him getting in there and a concernabout which jockey will ride him, so I'm favouring Newmarket at the moment.
“The handicapper has been kind to us, dropping him to a mark of 85, and if he can win off that rating beforehand, he'd have a decent chance of getting into the Cesarewitch.
“He's in great shape, seemingly just as young as ever, and is really enjoying himself being back in full-time training.”
Which riders will partner which horses at Ascot will be determined by random ballot on Wednesday.
JARDINES LOOKOUT, winner of the 2002 Goodwood Cup and third in the following year's Melbourne Cup, is poised to make his long-delayed return on Saturday.
The Alan Jarvis-trained 11-year-old will tackle either the 2m Carvill Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap at Ascot or the opening event over a similar distance at Newmarket.
Jardines Lookout has not run since finishing 15th of 17 in the Gold Cup staged at York in 2005, when Ascot was closed for redevelopment.
Having picked up an injury in that race, he required a lengthy period of recuperation, but Jarvis began training him seriously again at the start of this season and has earmarked October's Cesarewitch as his long-term aim.
Jarvis said on Tuesday: “He has never enjoyed being out of training, so it was always the plan to bring him back if we could.
“I madethe mistake of running him on that diabolical ground when Royal Ascot was at York and, unfortunately, he came back with an injury, a small broken bone in a leg which aggravated his suspensory tendon by rubbing against it.
“After surgery he's made a full recovery and been given a clean bill of health, so we're bringing him back and hoping to aim him eventually at the Cesarewitch.”
Jarvis added: “He might go to the Shergar Cup, but there's a doubt about him getting in there and a concernabout which jockey will ride him, so I'm favouring Newmarket at the moment.
“The handicapper has been kind to us, dropping him to a mark of 85, and if he can win off that rating beforehand, he'd have a decent chance of getting into the Cesarewitch.
“He's in great shape, seemingly just as young as ever, and is really enjoying himself being back in full-time training.”
Which riders will partner which horses at Ascot will be determined by random ballot on Wednesday.
