Byron Cozamanis will monitor the blood count of his top sprinter Grand Duels before confirming a start for him in the Listed $100,000 Christmas Stakes at Caulfield on Boxing Day.
The Marechal gelding disappointed the Caulfield trainer when he could finish only a three-length eighth to Canali in the 65 Roses Victoria Cup (1100m) on his home track on December 3.
“I took the blinkers off him to stop him from over-racing but he wouldn’t even go early then,” Cozamanis said.
However since then the eight-year-old was found to have a high white blood cell count.
“At this stage he’s okay as the white cell count had dropped a fair bit and he’ll be running next Monday,” Cozamanis said.
“But we’ve got to have a couple more bloods done on him this week just to make sure.
“He’s a horse who has always been on the borderline. It always goes up too quick like he’s got a virus in his lung.
“But he seems bright enough at the moment.”
Grand Duels, who has won 10 of his 45 starts with another nine placings and $788,110 in prizemoney, struck a purple patch of form this time last year winning the 65 Roses Victoria Cup, Christmas Stakes and the Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
He then ran a 5-1/2 length fourth to Black Caviar in the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington but was spelled after striking interference at the start and finishing last to the champion mare in the Group One Newmarket Handicap.
Earlier in his career, Grand Duels had run third in the 2008 Newmarket and third in the 2009 Lightning.
Ridden by Steven Arnold in last year’s Christmas Stakes, Grand Duels, sent out at $19, jumped from barrier 15 but got up to beat Miss Octopussy and Gold In Dubai.
Cozamanis, who usually has around 15 horses in work, has mainly young horses in his stables at the moment but had a change of luck when he won the Red Tempo Handicap (1000m) at Flemington last Saturday with The Soldier.
The eight-year-old, who hails from Alice Springs where he has been prepared for most of his career by Ken Rogerson, will next run under lights at Moonee Valley on New Year’s Eve.
Entries for the Christmas Stakes meeting close on Tuesday.
AAP TURF
