INJURY prone Warrnambool galloper Starshot returns to racing after more than a year on the sidelines in the $80,000 City Of Glen Eira Handicap at Caulfield today.
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Starshot will attempt his third comeback to racing in the 1000-metre race.
Trainer Peter Chow said suspensory injuries to Starshot’s off-side front leg have riddled his career.
“It’s his third time back today from a long spell,” Chow said.
“He’s that good of horse he’s won each time he’s come back to racing but then he goes sore.
“It’s always the same suspensory on the same leg.
“I would say potentially he was a top horse but we’ve never see the best of him. He holds the track record at Swan Hill for 975 metres.
“We just give him a long break in the paddock each time he goes sore — this time it’s more than a year.”
Chow said Starshot has benefited from two jump outs at Terang and Hamilton to have him ready for his first-up tilt today.
“We’ve been very lucky to have been able to use the water walker and the treadmill out at Matthew Williams’ stable to get him ready for this race,” he said.
“He’s gone along really well in the lead up to the race.
“Starshot has won five out of 13 races.
‘‘He’s got a couple of minor placings to his credit so you can see he’s no slouch as I said potentially he could have been a very good horse if he had been sound.”
One of Starshot’s rivals in the 1000-metre speed test is King Cotton.
Veteran Warrnambool mentor Merv McKenzie trains King Cotton and reported his horse had recovered from his last-tart failure at Moonee Valley.
“King Cotton’s last run was too bad to be true,” he said.
“It was a hot day and he just never handled the heat.
‘‘His favourite Melbourne track is at Moonee Valley but they are no races programmed for him there until the end of next month.
“We had to kick off his campaign somewhere and this seemed ideal but we can’t wait to get him back to the Valley.
“He’s got to lump 61.5kg today which is a bit of weight.
“King Cotton has been a consistent horse and it’s that consistency which he is paying for now that he’s up in the weights.”
King Cotton has earned in excess of $160,000 from 33 starts.