Newcastle trainer Darren Smith expects a much-improved second-up display from comeback sprinter Welkom Gold when he tackles the Listed June Stakes at Rosehill.
Welkom Gold returned from 18 months on the sidelines through injury but only managed to beat one runner home in a Listed 1100m event at Scone on May 19.
Smith has seen an improvement in the seven-year-old since his first-up outing and is looking forward to taking him back to the races on Saturday.
Welkom Gold won the Listed Maurice McCarten Stakes over the same course and distance in March 2010, and the gelding was runner-up in the June Stakes three years ago when it was held at Randwick.
“I think he’s improved a lot since his Scone run. He was a bit fresh that day and just ran out of gas,” Smith said.
“He worked between races at Newcastle last Saturday and it was good solid work.
“The wet track won’t hurt him and maybe the fence might be off.”
Welkom Gold has drawn barrier 16 and will again be ridden by Peter Robl.
Smith, who recently welcomed Group One-winning sprinter Atomic Force back into the stable to prepare for the spring, said Welkom Gold was always a sound horse and his tendon injury came out of the blue.
“We sent him up to Brisbane for a race and the races were called off because of the wet,” he said.
“When he got back home he just had a bit of swelling in his tendon.
“We just gave him plenty of time to get over it.”
Skytrain, the luckless runner from the Listed 1100m event at Scone, is favourite for the June Stakes at $4.60 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of the John O’Shea-trained mare Alberton Park ($5) and Stratana ($7).
Welkom Gold is at $12 and Smith expects a competitive showing.
“I think the moisture in the track helps him more than it doesn’t help him,” he said.
Smith said giving Welkom Gold a solo exhibition gallop last week was to give the sprinter another day out at the races.
“It just gave him another look around at what he’s been missing over the past 12 months,” he said.
Welkom Gold is one of three Newcastle-trained sprinters set to contest the June Stakes along with Motspur and Stratana.
Motspur and Stratana finished first and second respectively in the Scone race on May 19.
