Renew On Trial For Adelaide Cup

Trainer Archie Alexander has revealed that Renew will be on trial for the 2016 Adelaide Cup when he returns to the races in the 2500 metres Handicap at Flemington on Saturday.

Renew has the chance to return to winning form at Flemington this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Renew has the chance to return to winning form at Flemington this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Renew took out the 2014 edition of the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) and finished a gallant third in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) last year, but he was generally unable to reproduce that sort of form during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.

The imported stayer produced a promising performance when he finished fifth behind Let’s Make Adeal in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington on October 4 and he was not disgraced in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 21 or the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) on November 14, but he was beaten by a fair distance in the Slickpix Handicap (2500m) at Moonee Valley on November 28.

Alexander confirmed that Renew would return to the races at Flemington this weekend and he told Racing Ahead that he is hopeful the Dansili gelding can produce a performance that indicates he is worthy of a trip to South Australia for another tilt at the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on March 14.

“We have accepted this morning and Dwayne Dunn will ride,” Alexander said.

“It is always a bit of a worry when you carry 60 kilos and you are tempted to claim, but there aren’t very many jockeys better than Dwayne Dunn around and we have just gone for the experience.

“Hopefully that will be good enough.

“I thought he ran really well in The Bart Cummings and he wasn’t beaten far by horses that went on to be placed in the Caulfield Cup.

“He put in a couple of shockers and probably his last run was the worst.

“He has come down well in the handicaps and you would have to think that if he brings his a-game he would run very well because he was rated a lot higher than this and was running well in Adelaide Cups.

“He has to step-up his game and realistically on his past two or three runs you couldn’t be going to an Adelaide Cup with the same confidence that we were last year, but if he runs top three on Saturday you would have to think that the Adelaide Cup would be a good race for him again.”

Renew is set to take on the likes of Danjeu, Ferro Nero, Hartani, Leica Day, Quick Strike and Second Bullet in the 2500 Metres Handicap at Flemington this weekend.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.