Trainer Cliff Brown says former Singapore galloper The Inferno looks like a woolly bear but is also looking forward to the spring prospects of the sprinter.
The Inferno won at his second start after relocating from Singapore last year in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes at The Valley which, this year named the Chautauqua Stakes, will be the gelding’s launch pad into the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Brown believes The Inferno is in the best physical condition he has had him just weeks away from his first-up run.
The Inferno trialled at Cranbourne last Tuesday and will have another hit-out in the lead-up to Chautauqua Stakes at The Valley on September 3.
The campaign in the autumn did not go to plan for The Inferno after he was ‘flattened’ early in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
“He was never right,” Brown said.
“We tried and tried and tried, but just couldn’t him to where we needed him. We thought we did, but he just wasn’t.
“He looks like a woolly bear, but I feel he’s in a great spot this time around.”
The Inferno has not raced since finishing 11th to Lombardo in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in May.
Brown is reluctant to return to Sydney this spring after The Inferno beat only two rivals home in The Everest (1200m) at Randwick.
“I don’t know if he handled Sydney, but it was a bottomless sort of track,” Brown said.
“If Nature Strip’s at his best, there’s no point, you’ll be chasing his tail, so we’d be better off staying here and chasing the good prize money.”
Stablemate Yaphet also trialled at Cranbourne and Brown has hopes of getting the Group 1 South Australian Derby runner-up to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October.
Brown was happy with Yaphet’s trial, and he’ll have a more strenuous hit-out during the week and is scheduled to kick-off his campaign over 1400m at Caulfield on August 27.
“You plan like things are going to be fantastic, but when they’re not, which most times they are, you come back a peg,” Brown said.
“We’ll try and get to the Caulfield Cup. That’s pie-in-the-sky stuff, but if you’re not ready for it, it doesn’t matter. There’s plenty of other options for him.”