Group One winner Triple Honour takes the next step on his comeback trail at Eagle Farm on Monday with new trainer Robert Heathcote confident he is poised to rediscover his best form.
The 2008 Doncaster Handicap winner, Triple Honour was formerly trained by Chris Waller in Sydney and was temporarily retired in August last year.
After a phone call to Heathcote from the horse’s Hong Kong-based owner Philip Ng, Triple Honour was on the road to Queensland and a long recuperative spell.
“I have trained a few horses for Philip over the years and I suggested we give Triple Honour a really long spell and he has thrived,” Heathcote said.
“He came up in September last year and had four months in the spelling paddock and he has got his enthusiasm for racing back.
“Chris Waller had obviously done a great job with him but sometimes a change of scenery for these old horses switches them back on and he has really got his mojo back.”
Triple Honour made his return to racing when unplaced behind Meet George on March 24 and Heathcote is confident the horse will improve in the $50,000 Coca Cola Amatil Handicap (1400m) on Monday.
“He’s a very, very good horse and his class will take him a long way,” Heathcote said.
“It’s short of his best distance but the thing I am most excited about is that he is enjoying his work and, importantly, he is sound and very healthy.”
Heathcote said Triple Honour’s main goals were the Hollindale Cup at the Gold Coast on May 5 and then another tilt at the Doomben Cup, the race he finished sixth in last year.
Fellow trainer Kelly Schweida has confirmed highly-rated sprinter Cape Kidnappers a certain starter in the Ticketek Class 6 Handicap (1000m) after the horse was scratched from Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Schweida said he opted to start Cape Kidnappers on Monday because it allowed the horse more time to recover from his first-up defeat and also because Damien Browne was available to partner the horse after riding in Sydney on Saturday.
“He is fine but he had a tough run on a wet track first up and this race gave me a few extra days for him,” Schweida said.
