Trainer John Sadler considered he had an Oaks filly on his hands until two bouts of surgery put an end to the majority of her three-year-old career.
That filly, Foreign Raider, will have her first start in almost 15 months when she steps out in the Quayclean Handicap (1300m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Foreign Raider had two starts as a two-year-old in 2022, finishing a debut second over 1200m at Cranbourne before running third in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
With good reason, Sadler was looking forward to the Spring Carnival last year, but knee surgery and then throat surgery forced the filly to the sidelines.
“I thought she might have been an Oaks filly and I haven’t given up hope of the spring this year, so we’ll see how she comes back on Saturday,” Sadler said.
“She showed really good promise.
“She ran third in a stakes race at her second start in what has turned out to be a very strong form race.
“Her first start was at Cranbourne on an unsuitable track. Then she ran second in that Flemington race, which nearly always is a good race.”
Sadler said Foreign Raider underwent knee surgery not long after the Flemington performance and having recovered from that was then in the early stages of her next campaign when she was found to be requiring throat surgery.
Now almost 15 months, Foreign Raider is showing no ill-effects from those problems and is ready for a run at Sandown.
“She seems to have come back from those surgeries pretty well,” Sadler said.
“She’s pretty forward. I’m not suggesting she will win, but I’m confident she will run well.”
Foreign Raider is a $16 chance in latest betting that sees the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Extratwo as the $3.20 favourite at betr.
