In the week that it was confirmed that the skeleton of legendary Australian racehorse Phar Lap will be on display for racegoers at Flemington to view as part of the celebration for the 150th anniversary running of the Emirates Melbourne Cup, it has been announced that a living icon of modern Australian racing looks set to make a surprise return to action having been retired last year, writes Elliot Slater.
Joe Janiak’s tremendous sprinter Takeover Target, retired after sustaining what appeared to be a career-ending injury after finishing down the field in the 2009 renewal of the July Cup at Newmarket, is reportedly back in three-quarter work and the gelding’s hugely popular trainer reports that tests and x-rays on the cracked cannon bone that forced his retirement reveal that the horse is now fully recovered and could race again.
At the age of 11, it is asking an awful lot of the son of the recently deceased French Derby winner Celtic Swing to come back and race at the highest level that he graced for so long, but Janiak believes that his beloved horse, the animal that took him from being a jobbing taxi driver to international sports celebrity, really wants to race again and is no back number.
A winner of 21 of his 41 career starts, Takeover Target came to international prominence when brilliantly winning the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2006, before finishing a brave third only four days later in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at the same fixture. A winner the same year of Japan’s top sprint as well as other major victories, including in Grade 1 company in Singapore, Takeover Target (the horse who cost less than many bicycles today) is a genuine Australian celebrity and has recently returned from a tour of his native land, where he has been warmly received across the continent.
If all continues to be well with the gelding, he could go back into battle early in the New Year. Meanwhile, the Melbourne Cup betting is hotting up, so make sure you check out the latest tips.
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