Ready To Rip is set to return to the races in the 2014 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield tomorrow and trainer Peter Moody is expecting a competitive effort from the tough gelding.

Ready To Rip will take on Lord Of The Sky in the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Ready To Rip has not been seen at the races since he finished seventh behind Lonhspresso in the Listed The Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington on May 24 and was ruled out of both the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 5 and the Listed All Victorian Sprint Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 12 due to a foot abscess.

Moody believes that Ready To Rip is in good condition ahead of the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and is confident that the More Than Ready gelding will be competitive but, like all the other trainers with runners in the Bletchingly Stakes field, he feels that Lord Of The Sky will be tough to beat.

“He has had a bit of a foot abscess, which has dogged him for about three weeks now, but we seem to have him right,” Moody told Racing Ahead.

“He is in good shape and he won this race a couple of years ago, but he hasn’t improved off that.

“He is always competitive, but you would think that if the three-year-old is as good as connections and Robbie feel and his form suggests than he is too good for these.

“If he struggles at the 1200 than my old boy will be strong at the finish.”

Ready To Rip made his racing debut for Queensland trainer Andrew Williamson in 2010 and he has raced at Group and Listed level throughout his racing career.

The six-year-old joined the Moody stable before the start of the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and took out the Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) and Bletchingly Stakes before finishing in the placings in both the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m).

Ready To Rip failed to fire in both the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and VRC Sprint Classic (1200m), but has unable to reach those heights again and has not recorded a race win since he took out the Listed Thoroughbred Club Cup (1200m) at Caulfield during the 2013 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.

Lord Of The Sky has been backed into 2014 Bletchingly Stakes odds of $1.55, while Ready To Rip is available at a quote of $9 to score an upset win.