Former Singapore champion The Inferno has had mixed luck since relocating to Australia early in 2021.
The Cliff Brown-trained galloper won the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley last year before flashing home late to just miss in the Group 1 Moir Stakes over the same course and distance.
Things have not all been rosy for The Inferno since, although he did finish third in the Group 3 D C McKay Stakes at Morphettville in May, his solitary placing since last year’s Moir.
The Inferno returns to The Valley on Friday night to run in the Moir Stakes and avenge his second placing behind Wild Ruler.
The sprinter pleased Brown with his return run, beaten 2-¼ lengths behind Queenslanders Rothfire and Zoustyle, opponents again on Friday night, in the McEwen Stakes.
The race did not set up well for The Inferno despite the small field on a track favouring leaders.
But Brown said that race served its purpose as The Inferno had improved out of the race, although he said the sprinter is hard to gauge.
“He’s not a great trackworker so it’s hard to get a line on him that way,” Brown said.
“You don’t come away from a gallop and go ‘gee that was amazing’. I remember when he won the McEwen last year, he got beaten by a 2000-metre horse in a gallop.”
Brown kept The Inferno away from The Valley and the heavy track on Monday morning and was granted permission to gallop the sprinter on the course proper at Mornington instead.
He said he was thankful to the Melbourne Racing Club for allowing the gallop on basically new ground.
“It was ideal for him,” Brown said.
“I didn’t have to drive up to The Valley in the traffic and got a good gallop into him. It was lovely.
“I thought his first-up run was excellent. It was always going to be a difficult race, and this is the same, but hopefully they can run on a bit as the horse is in good order.
“But theoretically his best chance of winning a big race will be in Manikato Stakes.”
