Dual Group One winner Toorak Toff will be put back into work in two weeks to be prepared for the Group One $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy said the four-year-old could possibly run in the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 25 as a lead up to the Newmarket on March 10 over the Flemington straight 1200 metres.
The winner of six races from 17 starts, the entire won the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill as a three-year-old but later that season required a throat operation and was briefly retired.
The operation was successful and when a suitable stud deal could not be brokered, Hore-Lacy brought him back into work.
Second-up in his spring campaign Toorak Toff won the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in September, beating stablemate Pinnacles and Master of Design.
He was third under 59kg behind Woorim in the Group Three Tab.Com.Au Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on October 29.
However, on either side of that effort he showed his vulnerability at 1600 metres when 10th to Mufhasa in the Group One Toorak Handicap at Caulfield and 15th to Albert The Fat in the Group One Emirates Stakes at Flemington.
His best effort over the distance was fourth to Anacheeva in the 2010 Group One Caulfield Guineas, although he was unlucky when blocked for a run and seventh to Skilled in the 2010 Group One AJC Champagne Stakes at Randwick.
Meanwhile stablemate Pinnacles, who was badly injured in the Emirates Stakes, remains at Hore-Lacy’s Caulfield stables as he recuperates.
“He’s retired but he’s not going to die,” the trainer said.
“I’ll just keep him in the stables for as long as it takes, four or five months if necessary, and we’ll make sure we save his life.
“He very badly tore ligaments in the off fore. We just want to make him sound enough so he can spend the rest of his life in the paddock.”
Hore-Lacy, a part-owner of Pinnacles, rescued his horse when on-track vets were preparing to euthanase him.
Pinnacles raced 61 times for 11 wins, nine seconds, six thirds and just over $1 million in stake money.
The eight-year-old had been racing in great form this season with wins over 1400m at Caulfield in late August and in the Sale Cup (1600m).
The gelding ran third in the 2008 Group One Doncaster (1600m) at Randwick and won the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast the same year.
Pinnacles also won seven races on Melbourne tracks.
AAP TURF
