Multiple Group One winner Scenic Blast has returned from the United States and is set to take on champion Black Caviar this spring.
The seven-year-old won the Lightning Stakes-Newmarket Handicap double under trainer Dan Morton in 2009 before conquering the world’s best sprinters in that year’s King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He bled in the 2009 Hong Kong Sprint and was transferred to the US where he managed three placings from five starts.
The gelding has now returned to Morton’s Perth stables and tuned up for his spring campaign with an exhibition gallop between races at Belmont Park on Wednesday.
“John Sheriffs, his trainer in the US, did a fantastic job with him and was able to work on rejuvenating the gelding and readjusting him to racing following his bleed,” Morton told perthracing.com.au.
“We plan to go to Melbourne and the Patinack Classic down the Flemington straight would be his main target but he will most likely start in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day before that.”
The Moir Stakes (1200m), now known as the Schweppes Stakes, is at Moonee Valley on October 22 with the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 5.
Black Caviar, who will resume in the Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday week, won both the Moir and the Patinack last year and is on the same path this campaign.
AAP TURF
