Top-class mare Sister Madly, who was robbed of an autumn campaign because of an infection, is back in John Sadler’s stable to be prepared for the feature spring sprints.
Racing manager Troy Corstens said the five-year-old mare had got the all clear after being scoped and came back into work last week along with talented stayer Linton.
Sister Madly hasn’t raced since winning out in a blanket finish to the Group Two Salinger Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 29 and the stable is keen to make up for lost time.
“She looks fantastic and spelled very well after getting a throat infection in the autumn which went to her lung and cost her the whole autumn preparation,” Corstens said.
Formerly trained by Anthony Cummings, Sister Madly had her first campaign with Sadler last spring when she had four runs in feature races for two wins and two seconds.
The Group Three How Now Stakes, which she won first-up at Caulfield in mid-September, is again earmarked to kick off her 2012 spring campaign.
Corstens said Sister Madly was likely to follow the same path as last year which included a second to Sepoy in the Group One Manikato Stakes and second to More Joyous in the Tristarc Stakes.
However, Sadler said the daughter of Redoute’s Choice may chase a bigger prize than the Salinger this year with the Group One Patinack Farm Classic on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival on the radar.
“She is top-class and if Black Caviar is not around then maybe she could run in that instead of the Salinger,” Sadler said.
Corstens said Linton, who last month won the Group Three Lee Stakes at Morphettville with 61kg at his only start for the stable, had put on 10kg during his three-week spell.
“We’re really pleased with him,” Corstens said.
Formerly owned by Lloyd Williams, the five-year-old has won four of his 17 starts and was Group One-placed in the 2010 Australian Guineas and 2011 Australian Cup.
Injury has restricted his career and Sadler is happy to miss the Cups with him and target the Group One Mackinnon Stakes and the Group Two Zipping Classic.
The stable’s leading Cup contender is four-time American Group One winner Winchester, bought by Geelong’s Rosemont Stud.
Winchester started his racing career in Ireland before relocating to America where he won the Group One Secretariat Stakes (2000m) by seven lengths.
His other three Group One wins over 2400 metres included a victory over three-time Eclipse Horse of the Year winner Gio Ponti in the Manhattan Handicap .
“He’s a really nice horse and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do here,” Corstens said.
