Cape Kidnappers to return in George Moore Stakes

Injury plagued sprinter Cape Kidnappers is set to return to the race track in the Group 3 $200,000 Channel Seven George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Cape Kidnappers will return to the race track in the George Moore Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Cape Kidnappers will return to the race track in the George Moore Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Cape Kidnappers is one of thirteen horses nominated for the George Moore Stakes along with Adebisi, Big Money, Excellenates, Rocket To Glory, Time To Plunder, Architect, Finishing Card, Flying Riddle, Into The Red, Riva De Lago, Rocky King and Someday.

Cape Kidnappers has a long history of leg troubles and was off the scene for over twelve months in 2012 and 2013 with a sesamoid injury and trainer Kelly Schweida thought that the Commands gelding had re-injured the same joint when narrowly beaten into second place behind Big Money in the Group 3 $175,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Jockey Damian Browne was quick to dismount after passing the winning post and led Cape Kidnappers back to the saddling enclosure and Schweida feared the worst.

“We originally thought he had cracked his sesamoid again, but X-rays showed it was fine,” Schweida told The Courier-Mail.

“We gave him two months off before he came back and did four or five weeks on the treadmill.

“Damian Browne has come down to ride him in two jumpouts and everything seems fine.

“It’s always hard to win first up at 1200m and then we have to see what weight he gets, but I’m looking forward to getting him back.”

While Schweida admits it will be hard for the seven year old to win first up over 1200m in a smart field of sprinters, he has achieved first up success with Cape Kidnappers in the past with the Commands gelding winning a 1100m Saturday Class 6 at Ipswich in June 2013 at his first run for over twelve months.

Cape Kidnappers will renew his rivalry with the Rodney Northam trained Big Money whom he beat in the Listed $100,000 Evergreen Turf Lightning Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm on June 7 before the result was reversed in the Healy Stakes.

Eagle Farm trainer Liam Birchley has nominated the in-form Time To Plunder who returned to Brisbane after a second over 1400m at Flemington on November 6 with a win in the Listed $100,000 Brisclean Keith Noud Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on November 22 beating Finishing Card, Rocket To Glory and Someday.

The Sunshine Coast trained Rocky King was back in the winner’s stall on his home track over 1000m on November 14 after a brief Melbourne campaign while Robert Heathcote has nominated the consistent Excellantes and the recently acquired Riva De Lago for the George Moore Stakes.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.