Illness and injury have kept Group One winner Samaready off the track for more than a year and trainer Mick Price admits she will be vulnerable when she returns on Saturday.
The winner of the 2012 Blue Diamond Stakes resumes in the Group Three Heath (1100m) at Caulfield, her home track.
Samaready winning the Spotless Plate at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Samaready had an unofficial trial last week and showed Price she was on target for her comeback.
“I’m getting to the point where I have to run her anyway,” Price said.
“She’s probably vulnerable first-up after such a long time.
“I don’t need to grind her, one trial and a 650 metre trial, that’s all.”
The mare has raced just six times for four wins and a third in the Golden Slipper won by Pierro.
There were 18 entries taken for the Heath on Monday headed by established Group One performer Yosei.
Samaready’s stablemate Pakal, a $21 chance in the Caulfield Cup, will run in the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) after his impressive win in open company over 1600 metres at Caulfield two weeks ago.
Price’s road to the Caulfield Cup with the German import involves running him in the ballot-free Naturalism or Turnbull stakes races.
“There’s two ballot-free chances and I think that’s the way we’ll go because if you go in the Underwood you deny yourself a chance at the Naturalism.”
He is prepared to forgive his other import Bit of Hell, who finished last in the Caulfield race behind Pakal, after jockey Nick Hall defended the performance.
“Hall defended the run but I thought it was the run of an entire and lacked a bit of genuine effort,” Price said.
“He reckoned the tempo didn’t suit him when they splintered off in front of him and he is better off in a faster-run race over 2000 to 2400 metres.”
