It was a mixture of pride and relief for trainer Kelly Schweida when Cape Kidnappers made a return from injury to win at Ipswich on Saturday.
Named after an elite golf course in New Zealand, Cape Kidnappers, the $1.90 favourite, made it five wins from only six starts when he won the Ipswich Dash (1100m) by a length from Bymonashee ($7).
Cape Kidnappers, Ric McMahon - Photo by Daniel Costello
The five-year-old’s racing career was in jeopardy last year when he cracked his off-fore sesamoid bone.
“He cracked it right through and it was touch and go for a while whether he’d race again,” Schweida said.
“I’m pretty emotional at the moment because he’s a pretty special horse to me and definitely one of my favourites.
“I’m very proud of him to see him win today after everything he’s been through.”
Schweida said Cape Kidnappers had to spend almost three months confined to his stable box to ensure his leg healed properly.
“A lot of horses wouldn’t cop being in a box that long but he never batted an eyelid,” he said.
Because of the gelding’s injury, Schweida is reluctant to plan too far ahead with his racing program.
“He’ll have a big blow and take plenty of improvement out of that run but I want to wait a few days before I think about what’s next for him,” he said.
