Clean Bill Of Health For Rekindling

Tuesday's G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup hero Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) was reported none the worse for his exertions by Joseph O'Brien on Wednesday and the young trainer is already looking forward to him as a premier staying prospect in Europe next season. O'Brien inherited the horse from David Wachman who trained Rekindling to win a 2-year-old maiden at Gowran Park last year before his retirement from training necessitated a redistribution of his horses, a string that also included this year's four time group 1 winner Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). O'Brien has obviously learned a thing or two from his father as his handling of Rekindling this year has been impressive; the horse making a winning seasonal debut in April and progressing all the way through the year to produce a career best on his final start seven months later.

While Rekindling will now enjoy a well earned rest O'Brien has begun plotting a potential 2018 campaign. “He seems to have pulled up well, he's in good form here this morning,” O'Brien told Racing.com at Werribee on Wednesday. “He'll have a little break and then I think he might come back to Europe next season for maybe a try at an Ascot Gold Cup or something like that in the summer, he's an exciting horse for next season.” Lloyd Williams and his family were also on hand to pay homage to their latest Cup hero and he too wants to see Rekindling recharge for a while before thoughts turn to next year. “You hope that he'll go forward, he's a good staying horse, but he's been going since April and it's the second week of November now so we're going to send him up to Macedon Lodge and give him three or four weeks on the grass. It would be great to see him in the Gold Cup [at Royal Ascot], it would be a good race for him but time will tell, that's a long way off,” he added.