Injury-plagued galloper Carnero has rewarded the patience of his connections with his first win in more than three years at Moonee Valley.
Trainer Dean Binaisse never lost faith in the chronically leg-troubled entire who led all the way to score a fighting half-length win over Extra Zero and Ishant in Saturday’s Spotless Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
It was his third win in 17 starts with his last success being the Inglis Premier (1200m) at Caulfield in March 2008.
Binaisse said he enlisted the help of a sports scientist to help rehabilitate Carnero and the results from a change to the six-year-old’s training regime have astounded vets.
“It is the best I have ever had him,” Binaisse said.
“I was very confident going into today.
“The vets can’t believe how good his legs are now and fingers crossed he stays together so we can hopefully aim him at the JRA Cup (at Moonee Valley on September 30).”
Binaisse said the training program was based on a system used for footballers with Achilles and cruciate ligament injuries.
He said the intervals between Carnero’s speed and stamina work were an integral part of the program.
“It is about speed and the intensity that he works at and the intervals he does it at,” Binaisse said.
Carnero looked an outstanding prospect as a young horse and ran second to Von Costa De Hero in the 2008 Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes.
In the spring that year he ran third to Whobegotyou and All American in the Group Two Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley but broke down in the Victoria Derby.
Binaisse paid tribute to the Davies family who own Carnero for giving him the time for the rehabilitation he needed.
“It took 2-1/2 years but we finally got him back,” Binaisse said.
Carnero had his comeback run at Flemington in May and has improved with every run.
At his last three starts he was beaten three-quarters of a length by Mr Make Believe when second at Caulfield, a length by Testascana when runner-up at Flemington and just over a length when seventh to Pinnacles at Caulfield on August 27.
“He has always had the ability and it showed in his sectionals,” Binaisse said.
“He has never run a bad race this time in.”
AAP TURF
