Stakes winner Iconic is set to race for the first time this season in the Kensington Stakes after a couple of hiccups in his preparation.
Iconic, who has family ties to Black Caviar, hasn’t raced since finishing unplaced in a Listed sprint in Brisbane in April last year.
Iconic
McEvoy said the five-year-old had a good spell before feet problems surfaced as he was building up to a return and the trainer turned him out for another month.
“He had a bit of an interrupted campaign,” McEvoy said.
He said Iconic was pleasing him now as he prepared for his return in Saturday’s Listed 1000m sprint at Flemington and he was buoyed by the gelding’s recent barrier trial in Adelaide.
“He’s trialled well, he’s worked well and the horse now seems to be happy and I’m looking forward to getting him back to the races,” McEvoy said.
Iconic won a 1000m trial at Morphettville on January 18.
“He impressed me and that gave me the confidence to bring him across for this race,” the trainer said.
McEvoy said he would wait and see how Iconic returned before making any definitive plans for the sprinter whose most recent victory was in the Listed Carlyon Stakes at Moonee Valley in August 2014.
“There’s plenty of good options for sprinters in Sydney and Melbourne in the autumn,” McEvoy said.
Stablemate Metier returns from a let-up in Saturday’s John Calvert Handicap (1400m) while the imported Azurite steps up to 1800m for his second Australian start in the Summer Series Handicap.
McEvoy was delighted with Azurite’s fourth in a 1600m race at Moonee Valley on January 2 in his the gelding’s first race since he was imported from Europe by OTI Racing.
Damien Oliver, who rode Azurite in a race at Royal Ascot last year and at his Australian debut, has the ride.
“I’ve taken my time between his first and second run and I’m really looking forward to running him on Saturday,” McEvoy said.
