Trainer Mark Kavanagh will be one step closer to mapping out a Spring Carnival program for Atlantic Jewel after the mare has a jump out at Flemington on Friday.
Atlantic Jewel is nearing a return to the racetrack, hasn't raced since winning the 2012 All Aged Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
All eyes will be on the unbeaten Atlantic Jewel as she steps back out into the public arena after being of the racing scene for eighteen months after suffering a leg injury.
“She’ll have a jumpout on Friday and that’ll give us a good indication of how forward she is,” Kavanagh told Racing Victoria.
“It’s 18 months since she raced, so we’ve got to adopt a wait-and-see attitude with her.
“We won’t be giving her a gut-buster (on Friday). We’ll certainly be having a good look at her and then make a decision from there.”
Atlantic Jewel hasn’t raced since winning the 2012 Group 1 $400,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, keeping her record intact with seven wins from seven starts.
Kavanagh was preparing the Fastnet Rock mare for the last year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival, but she went amiss on the eve of her resumption.
Kavanagh has plenty of option to the mare’s comeback run as he heads towards the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
Group 3 $150,000 W W Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 17 or the Group 1 $350,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31 are on Kavanagh’s radar.
Kavanagh could also wait until September 7 for the Group 2 $220,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington but he is no hurry to push too hard.
If Kavanagh picks the Memsie Stakes for Atlantic Jewel’s comeback race, she could clash with high profile stablemate Super Cool who is also on a Cox Plate path.
Super Cool established himself as one of the leading three year olds last season with a second to Fiveandahalfstar in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington in the Spring.
And then came back in the Autumn to turn the tables on Fiveandahalfstar with a tight photo finish victory in the Group 1 WFA $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 9.
