Incentivise has two weeks remaining in his rehabilitation before he begins the next phase of his comeback to racing in the spring.
Managing part-owner Ozzie Kheir said on Wednesday that Incentivise was responding well to his treatment, which was due to finish in the next fortnight before the star of last spring is given a short break.
Incentivise had some leg issues following his incredible run through last spring and has been in rehabilitation for some months with a view to a spring comeback.
Kheir said the expectation was that Incentivise would successfully complete his rehabilitation before a two-week spell in the paddock. He said he would then return to Peter Moody’s Pakenham stables for his spring build-up.
Kheir said connections were hopeful that Incentivise can return to his best in the spring and bookmakers are certainly wary that he will.
Sportsbet has him marked the $8 favourite to defend his Caulfield Cup title while he is marked an $11 chance for the Cox Plate and sits as the $13 co-favourite for the Melbourne Cup with dual derby star Hitotsu.
Hitotsu is also part-owned by Kheir and he said the winner of the G1 classic treble of the Victoria Derby, Australian Guineas and ATC Australian Derby at his part three outings had done well during his spell.
“He is just coming back into some slow work now and I am really looking forward to seeing them both,” he said. “I am pretty excited to see what those two can do in the spring.”
The Cox Plate is the main spring target for Hitotsu (currently at $8.50), who is likely to begin his spring in a race like the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in September.
Options abound for the remarkable Maurice colt, who could progress overseas after his run at The Valley with the Japan Cup (2400m) in late November an option as too could be the Hong Kong International meeting in December.
– racing.com
