After missing the best part of a year of racing, the Mike Moroney-trained Milwaukee continues his comeback when he chases a stakes victory second-up at Caulfield.
Milwaukee led the recent Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington in his first start for 11 months before being overrun in the straight to finish sixth.
Moroney said the gelding had been almost due to return to work from a spell last year but was then injured in a paddock accident during a storm.
He required surgery to remove a large bone chip in a hock, hence his lengthy absence from the track.
Moroney was pleased with the five-year-old’s Mornington return and Milwaukee will be out to improve on that when he runs in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
“I thought his first-up run was very good given he had not run for nearly 12 months,” Moroney said.
“He would have taken good fitness from that.”
Milwaukee is already a Listed winner of the Bendigo Guineas (1400m) as a three-year-old, while the two most recent victories of his six career wins have been in straight-track races at Flemington in March and April last year.
The gelding is among a field of 12 for the Bel Esprit and is on the limit weight of 54kg with Nikita Beriman aboard.
Beriman won the feature race at Caulfield last Saturday, the Listed Anniversary Vase on the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Naantali.
“Milwaukee has got a great record down the straight at Flemington but he is fine around corners as well and he’s well up to this,” Moroney said.
Milwaukee’s oppositions includes Eduardo and Bons Away who have contested feature sprints during the Melbourne autumn carnival.
Eduardo was the early $2.40 favourite on Wednesday ahead of Bons Away ($4.40) while Milwaukee was at $14.
The Caulfield meeting also features the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2400m for three-year-olds which has a field of 13 plus one emergency.
South Australian Derby hopeful Secret Blaze has top weight of 57kg and barrier one in the Galilee Series Final, coming off a last-start win at Bendigo over 2200m.
