Anthony Cummings hasn’t ruled out exciting three-year-old Fiveandahalfstar still being a major factor over the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
Cummings said last year’s Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) champion, who was injured in winning his second Group 1 in The BMW (2400m) in April, was currently going through an intense treatment routine in the hope to have the son of Hotel Grand back for the Spring.
“He’s going through a controlled exercise recovery from the (strained ligament) injury that he picked up in The BMW (2400m) and that’s coming along really well,” Cummings told RSN.
“He goes to the paddock perhaps at the end of this week and then we’ll just monitor him to see when he returns (to work).
“Our best expectation is that he’ll be back in work at the end of June and our worst is that it might be three months after that.”
Cummings said the gelding would need to be fully recovered and make it back into work by late June/July for the Melbourne Spring to be a consideration.
Cummings unveiled another possible Spring Carnival contender yesterday in the shape of promising two-year-old Drago who won the $85,000 Centrebet Juvenile Stayer (1800m), the same race Fiveandahalfstar finished third in last season.
By Danehill Dancer, Cummings said Drago could follow in Fiveandahalfstar’s footsteps during the Melbourne Spring and possibly be targeted at the Victoria Derby.
Cummings, who also yesterday trained exciting three-year-old sprinter Your Song to win the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, said the colt would now progress to the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on Saturday May 25, before a possible crack at the $1 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm two weeks later.
Source : Racing Victoria
